It is often tough to believe that the sun will ever shine again in the darkest of hours. But for one Washington couple, heartbreak led to hope, healing, and a new beginning.
Lila McDermid and Tim’s faith pulled them through the devastating loss of their third child in the early stages of pregnancy. Their experience of loss and then miraculous fulfillment in the form of a “rainbow baby” gives us all hope that no matter the tragedy we face in life, we should all retain the belief that good will ultimately prevail.
Way back in December 2015, the couple was thrilled to discover the telltale pink lines of a home pregnancy kit meant baby number three was on the way. They were both ecstatic that there was going to be another addition to their family.
However, their joy was short-lived. Within a week or so, the mother-to-be began experiencing severe pain. Recalling the ordeal, she wrote: “I knew something was wrong. I saw my doctor and he confirmed I was experiencing a tubal pregnancy.”
A tubal or ectopic pregnancy is when the fetus develops inside a fallopian tube instead of the womb. It is a potentially life-threatening condition. Despite the best medical care available, the fallopian tube ruptured, and Lila required emergency surgery to save her life.
She was heartbroken, and her husband was terrified that he might lose his wife and the mother of his children. The couple was crushed at the loss of their third child.
With her eyes brimming with tears, Lila turned to God to ask why this had happened. “I was scared and confused. I got only one response: ‘Through this, I will bring joy.’”
The cryptic message of hope proved to be a comfort, for soon, the couple had once again conceived.
The good news was exciting but somewhat tempered by the terrible experience of her previous pregnancy. The promise of joy following the tragedy, however difficult to imagine, was something she would cling to dearly over the months ahead.
“[A]lthough I was very excited, I was also very nervous,” Lila said. “I held tightly to God’s promise.”
There was scarcely a doubt in their minds that the couple had grown closer to one another and God. Lila added that her brush with death and the demise of her unborn child gave her a greater appreciation of how delicate pregnancy and life are.
One year after the death of her unborn child, Lila was holding in her arms that “most precious gift of all” … her newborn baby, Audrey Joy. Lila and Tim’s “rainbow baby” was the literal fulfillment of their prayers, a little bundle of joy to heal the heartbreak.
“In that moment I felt God had fulfilled his promise to bring joy, and healing out of heartbreak,” she wrote.
The news of Audrey Joy’s birth was not just a happy family miracle. The inspiring story of hope in the face of adversity brought hope and healing to many others who had faced the same kind of tragedy.
“Little did I know at the time how Audrey Joy’s birth story would travel the world bringing hope and healing to millions,” Lila said.
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