“My two-month-old baby wasn’t breathing or feeding properly. There came a time when I gave up and told God I’m ready,” Evanna confessed in anguish. Evanna and Roger Sangma were expecting their first child during the pandemic. They were thrilled! Being first time parents brought a lot of excitement as well as concerns and questions.
Around the eighth month of her pregnancy, Evanna tested positive for Covid-19 and had to receive injections and oxygen to recover. Throughout her treatment, Evanna was a bundle of nerves, worrying about the effects of the strong medication on her unborn child. Soon after recovering from Covid, Evanna had to go in for an emergency C-section. Baby Mireya was born on January 8th. The new parents were delighted!
Being parents to a new born has never been easy, and it surely wasn’t for Roger and Evanna. They faced the challenges of sleepless nights, midnight feedings and diaper changes. Little did they know that these would be the least of their challenges in the months to come. When Mireya was about two-months-old, she began to struggle with breathing properly. Her parents rushed her to the hospital where they found that she was suffering from a condition called Laryngomalacia; her vocal cords hadn’t formed yet.
“To see my child’s tiny hands being pricked with needles twice the size was heart-breaking,” said Roger remembering how he struggled to react to that difficult time. Initially he would just walk out of the room, not knowing what to feel or how to express himself. Not only were the brand-new parents facing emotionally draining challenges of watching their little one go in and out of the hospital for five months, but they were running out of money fast. They ended up taking loans from relatives and friends because they couldn’t make ends meet.
“There was a time when I told God that if it’s His will to take her, I’m ready,” said Evanna tearfully as she remembered giving up as she watched her daughter’s condition get worse. “Then I realised, how can I give up being a mother when my daughter isn’t giving up.” Evanna turned to God in prayer and reinforced her trust in His will and His timing, knowing that whatever His will be, everything will eventually be okay. The desperate parents knelt and prayed, giving all their worries and concerns to God. “Psalm 91 would often cement our faith in His promises and His unfailing love for us.”
Eventually, Mireya’s mom and dad noticed changes in her – she was drinking more milk than usual! Mireya’s gradual improvement in health reminded her parents that in their weakest moments God didn’t forsake them. Even when they were ready to give up. “I learnt patience and to not lean on my own understanding, but on God’s,” said Roger as he recalled coming out of a heart-wrenching situation.
Mireya is back home with her parents now. Although, she has not recovered completely yet, her parents have faith that her health will improve, and God will heal her.
