Those of you who have been reading Raising Olives from the beginning may remember my requesting prayer for some friends of ours who were expecting a baby with HLHS (hypoplastic left heart syndrome). Gideon was born in March and his first surgery, the Norwood, went smoothly. He was small but progressing well the last time we got to see him. The doctors and family were merely waiting for him to grow before proceeding with the second of his three heart surgeries.
He was doing very, very well and the doctors were very optimistic for a long life for Gideon, but this morning his mother Penelope found 4 month old Gideon in his crib, not breathing. The EMT were called and were able to get a brief pulse, but were not able to save little Gideon’s life.
This was unexpected and the family is asking for prayers from everyone who is willing, as this is difficult for mom and dad and the other 9 children. Please pray for them as they grieve the loss of their 4 month old son.
If you would like to leave a comment or words of encouragement, I will pass them on to the family. I know that it will be encouraging to know that many are praying for them during this time.
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Thank you Kimberly for posting this. We have been lifting up this precious family in prayer this morning. The God of all comfort will bring healing and peace.
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Definitely praying for them all.
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Praying. Thank you for sharing. God is faithful, God is good.
~Brenda
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I’m so sorry! A young family from our church had an 8 mo. old baby boy die from the same thing.
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I am so very sorry to hear this.Our thoughts & prayers are with that family.
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We are praying for this family. We will be asking the Lord to grant them extra measures of grace and to be their comfort. Our hearts go out to them as we have children who are in Heaven, too. It is our constant comfort that they are with the Lord.
Clinging to promises of Rom 8:28-39,
Dawn
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I am so sorry to hear about Gideon. I’ve sent this post to another mom whose baby earned his wings from HLHS 9 months ago.
I’m sending lots of hugs and prayers for Gideon’s family for the upcoming days, weeks, and months. Keep reminding yourself that HE is in the perfect place.
And be looking for Gideon signs
Helen/’Lucy’ – mom to an angel baby
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no words can express the amount of love I am sending your way! I am so sorry to hear about your loss! Not only is Gideon resting in the arms of the Lord as he gently rocks him, but this little Angel was blessed to have such a wonderful family who said yes the the Lord to welcome these little ones into their arms. I pray that the Lord would wrap his arms around you. I know my story is NOTHINGS compared to what you are going through, but All I can relate is the time I miscarried. I remember being so broken hearted. It was the first time I audibly heard the Lord speak to me. he said to me ” Cast your sorrow on me. I know what it feels like to loose a child”. I am praying that you would cast your cares on the Lord. That your comfort would be found in him and in the wonderful memories you have with your little boy. What a thought to know that you have a tiny angel aiding the Lord in preparing a place for you and your family in eternity. All my love to you!
Tara
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Aloha,
I have loved coming to your blog & reading your insights on life & such. I wanted to let you know that we will keep this family in our thoughts & prayers. I hope that they will remember that Families can be together Forever & one day they will get to raise this little child. Much love,
Rachel B from Hawaii
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There are so many things i could say…but none of it seems right. we will pray for this family.
Gen
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Kimberly. I am praying for this family.. I am the mom who Helen mentioned above.. Our sweet boy passed away a month after his Glenn (2nd) surgery (in the hospital, surgical complications).
I’m going to see ifI can find your contact info to send you an email.. I know their grief is fresh, I also know that about 2 weeks after losing Seth I started to look for other moms to talk to. I would love to be able to be there for this mom.. (If it will help)..
You should be able to link through to my blog..and I have an email me button on the side as well..
Trusting in our Lord, the Great Comforter..
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My thoughts and prayers go out to that family.
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This is just so heartbreaking. They will be in my family’s prayers for certain. May God hold this poor family in his loving arms right now and give them the comfort they need. May God bless their little angel.
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How sad and heartbreaking. I am praying for this family.
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That is so sad. I will pray while I go for a walk right now.
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Lifting this family up in prayer. Asking that they be cloaked in love & peace of mind and be comforted from our heavenly father.
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There are no words for this type of sorrow. I am praying.
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Been praying since I found out! As is the rest of my family.
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Dear Sisters in Christ,
Thank you for blessing us with your loving concern & prayers. We left our dear little Gideon’s body to be buried today. It is a beautiful country cemetery near a little church in a community called Dutch Valley. He is in a row with my great-grandparents and two great uncles, with spaces reserved on either side of him now for my parents and his own.
Our 5-yr-old cried when we were about to leave and I gently reminded her that Gideon is not really there now. The part of him that was inside that smiled at us and cooed to us and looked at us with those dear, bright, adoring eyes is now in a perfect new body in Heaven with Jesus. It’s time to put the old body away like an old coat that we don’t need anymore because we have a much nicer one.
The Lord seems to help me explain what is hard to bear myself when I need to console one of the children. One friend who had lost a newlywed sister tried to console her mother in a similar way, and the mother replied that she knew all that, but that body being buried was still the one she’d cared for. I understand. Gideon & I have been through so much together!
I miss him cuddling in the crook of my arm, leaving earprints when he was done nursing or napping there. He had chapped his knuckles chewing on them & just started drooling like he was starting to teethe in his last couple of days. His eyes were starting to turn brown like his Daddy’s. Then all at once he’s gone.
Some of the hard things for me have been waking up and knowing he’s not there, my body aching to nurse him, remembering how he looked when I found him, watching my husband sobbing, seeing the children grieve … oh, there’s several things.
But gradually I’m coming to accept what Kimberly’s Dad brought out so beautifully in the funeral service yesterday. Although 4 months seems so short a lifetime, since God creates each life with a purpose, in His persective Gideon lived a full life. He fufilled the purpose he was created for, then God called him home.
May God be glorified in how our family responds to this mercifully rare trial. I know He has so much to teach us. Do continue to pray for our adjustment and courage to go on. Please pray that we would come to rest easy though our little roommate is gone, and that we would all learn to treat each day with each of our family members as a precious gift.
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