Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer... Moving Testimony

By Robert Catanese

Well friends, we begin another week.  I am going to share with you a very personal story. It is the story of how my daughter came into this world.  My hope is when reading this, it will spark something inside all of you to truly believe that there is incredible power when we pray!  It is a power that is God given to all of those who believe.  

Now, there are some that will say this was merely a stroke of luck, although the doctors to this day have no answer!  There are some that will say it is divine intervention, I do not if that is true.  But I will say it is a miracle that God had answered our prayer when my family was in a time of need.

This is a story perhaps, that occurred so that someday I would be able to share and testify to all of you. So indulge me, for just a minute...

It was just about 6 months into the pregnancy of my daughter, when the doctor started to realize, through ultrasound, that she was not growing.  The doctor promptly referred us to a Perinatologist to further investigate.  We started going to this doctor twice a week for the next 2 months.  Within that 2 months, every visit was the same, she was not growing and they had no answer.  To my dismay and frustration, I demanded an answer from the physician, she had none.  

All she would or could say was that the baby was not growing and was not progressing and that she was concerned.  In one of the visits that we attended to the obstetrician, the staff recommended that we go to genetic counseling.  Now, because the doctors had no answer for what was actually wrong with our daughter, or would not positively diagnose her condition, they asked us if we wanted to abort the baby!  I looked at the doctor, and without hesitation we told him to.... well I will leave that up to your imagination and we left.  And changed doctors.  

Now, the pediatrician we had picked out to go to when the baby was born just so happened to be Chief of staff at Miami Children's hospital.  I took the liberty of getting to the bottom of my unborn child's condition by showing him the ultrasound over the past month.  I will never forget what he told me.  I had finally received a diagnosis. 

After his careful observation,  I knew then why we were sent to "genetic counseling"....

He informed me that there were 3 conditions my daughter possibly had. 1) Gastroschesis, which is a condition where the intestines and the "gut" grow outside the body, in other words, her abdomen was not sealed.  2) Diaphragmatic hernia, which is where the diaphragm develops outside the body.  Both conditions upon birth or cesarean would be life ending.  3) Trisomy 21 aka Down's Syndrome, which was obviously the best of all 3 diagnoses.

We were devastated.  Now, I come from a very close knit family, so it wasn't that hard to recruit prayer warriors for this time of need.  From that day to the day she was born, my entire family began praying, friends, people in our church and people we didn't know began an incessant ritual of prayer that was unrelenting.  We were lost in the emotion of what was placed in front of us, and needless to say were very despondent, but whatever gift we were to be given we would cherish no matter what condition and for any amount of time.  

And the prayers continued...

As the situation played out, my wife at the time, was to be monitored overnight due to a decrease in my daughters heart rate. She was in her 8th month.  When I came to pick her up the following morning, the doctor was there and said my daughters heart was laboring throughout the night and that we had to have the baby now, or we would lose her.  We were in shock, the moment of truth had come, we didn't know what to expect.  

Now knowing the 3 scenarios that were at hand, I have never prayed so hard in those minutes leading up to the cesarean birth.  When the doctor said she is out, I stood up to look over the drape, and started to cry uncontrollably!  The doctor said there was a nuchal cord problem, which is a very thin umbilical cord, which was the reason she wasn't growing.  But, how is the cord even there?  What was it attached to??  

When I looked over the drape, she was perfect, pink and intact!  Just tiny, in fact she was born 3 pounds 12 oz.  She was in the Neo-natal intensive care unit for 2 weeks.  The doctors said she was thriving, even though she was premature.  We took her home at just 4 pounds.

Next month we will celebrate her 18th birthday!   This is my miracle testimony that I know share with all of you. When you believe my friends, all things are possible through Christ who strengthens me!  Never, ever underestimate the power of prayer.... Never