The little Elijah can
soon blow out 3 candles. But by just a whisker, he almost never shined at all.
For April
Leffingwell its the fulfillment of a dream as she discovers that she's
pregnant. But within a few weeks everything changes: from whooping with joy to
deathly sorrow...
For at a
routine checkup in the 20th week of her pregnancy, the doctors discover
something horrible: a tumor has formed in the embryo's lung, growing rapidly.
Soon it is as big as the baby's head. Mom April is now facing the most
important decision of her life: only an operation in her uterus could save the
little Elijah.
Elijah's chance
of survival is only 5o percent. But without an operation, death is certain. So
April walks the path of uncertainty and undergoes the procedure. The massive
tumor is removed through the abdominal wall. But complications begin to arise:
Elijah's diaphragm has been perforated and the lung has collapsed. Only through
the efforts of the doctors can the little creature be kept alive, laid back
into the mother's womb.
And the bell
tolls for Elijah 7 weeks before the due date: he is greeted by the light of the
world! The whole universe stands still for the family. April weeps tears of joy
and relief. But the battle is nowhere close to over...
The internal
injuries caused by the operation have wracked Elijah's body so badly that he
must immediately be brought into intensive care. There he is hooked up to a
breathing apparatus and is fed through a tube.
Father Jason
does not leave Elijah's side. Night after night he reads books to his son. When
Elijah hears his father's voice, he sleeps peacefully, comforted by the calming
cadence of his voice.
Indeed, the
following weeks and months are a true fight for the little Elijah. Due to the
drip feeding, his natural swallowing reflex is stunted.
Elijah must learn
slowly and painfully to eat and drink naturally. But it gets better every day.
Here is a
snapshot shortly before his 2nd birthday. In the meantime, Elijah has started
to really love eating, even if his portions are still pretty small.
And when he's
in the mood, Elijah loves to show his humor. Who can resist such a sweet little
rascal?
Yet there are
still days when Elijah looks like this. But who can blame him for that after
hearing his special story. But luckily these days are becoming less frequent.
And now it's
almost Elijah's 3rd birthday. And despite his difficult start, his family
couldn't be happier. For now they have the most beautiful gift in the world:
Elijah's life!
Elijah's fight is still
not over yet. Every pound gained is hard fought. But the doctors say that soon
Elijah will have the life of a normal child.
Share this moving story
of a mighty fighter with all others. Elijah is an inspiration for all!