July 4th: celebrating freedom...and a miracle!

Today is Independence Day, or the "4th of July" as it is commonly called. Today we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence which gave America its freedom from British rule. It’s a day for us to celebrate the freedom that we as Americans so often take for granted. July the 4th is also special for another reason…it’s the day a very special little girl named Adreana Hope was born 7 years ago (2003).
Adreana is the daughter of two of my best friends, Michael and Kim. She has two older brothers, James (age 12) and Austin (age 9). I remember the day that Kim told me that she was pregnant again and that it was going to be a little girl. Everyone was so excited! Then came the news that this little girl had a defect called an omphalocele. This meant that she was going to have to have surgery immediately after birth and possibly be in the hospital for several weeks thereafter. There was the possibilty of very serious complications, and also the possibilty that her health could be affected throughout her life. An omphalocele is a defect in the abdominal wall in which the liver, intestines, and occasionally other organs remain outside the abdomen in a sac. During the months before she came to greet us, there was a tremendous amount of praying that went on for this precious little girl. Adreana ended up being born on July 4, 2003. She weighed a very healthy 10 pounds! As soon as she was born, she was rushed into surgery to repair the omphalocele. The surgery was successful and the doctors told her parents that she was probably looking at being in the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit for at least a month. The awesome God we serve saw to it that she went home after just 16 days! I remember visiting that NICU during those 16 days and holding this precious little girl. I also remember walking past all of the other little babies who were fighting for their lives. There was one who could have easily fit into the palm of my hand. How comforting it was to know that all of these little ones were safely in the palm of a hand much bigger than mine.
It’s been a long time since I’ve thought about these things that happened 7 years ago. Like so many other things…..my life, health, family, friends, and freedoms……I have taken for granted the miracle that God allowed me to witness back then. Today Adreana is a very healthy and happy 7 year old! You would never guess that she went through what she did at such a young age. In fact, the only way you might know something was different about her is if you saw her belly button. You see, because of the omphalocele she wasn't born with one....so the doctor made her one! What a blessing! I’m thankful to God for bringing this to my remembrance today because July the 4th is more than just a day to celebrate freedom and independence…..it’s a day to celebrate a miracle, a miracle named Adreana Hope! Happy Birthday, Adreana! Bubber loves you very much!