Even When There's No Hope

    JACKSONVILLE, Florida - Erika and Stephen Jones were elated. They already had one beautiful little girl, Audrey, and now Erika was pregnant with baby number two! But a visit to the doctor's office put a very sobering twist on their happiness. Their unborn baby (a 2nd daughter) was diagnosed with both Down syndrome and a fatal brain tumor. The doctors gave little hope that the baby would be born alive, and, if she was, they put her life expectancy at less than a year. Erika and Stephen were devastated. But they decided to enjoy their little girl as best as they could for as long as they could.
    Abigail Noelle was born on August 6, 2015 - screaming and very much alive. After a few days in the hospital, her parents took her home and began the sad wait for the inevitable. But Abby's first week anniversary came and went. Then came her first month anniversary! And despite the grim predictions, Abby not only lived, but thrived. The doctors were so amazed that they had to check to make sure they had the right baby. Yes, this was the baby, and scans still showed the massive lump in her brain. 
    Her parents decided to get a second opinion. More tests were done. But this time, Abby's parents had some more hopeful news. The tumor might not be cancerous and might be operable. A small ray of hope was better than no hope at all.
    Stephen, Erika, and Abby flew to Boston where the surgery would take place. On October 8th, the operation began. Abby's parents waited, hoping and praying. But the wait time was shorter than expected. And the doctor had some news that made the hopeful couple burst into tears... of joy! Everything had gone better than hoped for, and the tumor had not been cancerous after all. Abby was going to live!
     The little family is back home now - so thankful for this amazing and unexpected blessing. Talk about one happy family!

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