When Jiang Ke Yue and Shirley See sat in church one Sunday listening to the hymn “Because He Lives,” they knew that they could not abort their unborn son.
“We heard a message from God when we heard the hymn ‘Because He Lives,’ especially the part that says: ‘How sweet to hold a newborn baby, to feel the pride and joy that he gives,’” Shirley told Trinity Christian Centre in a video on YouTube. “The moment we heard that, there was this assurance from God.”
According to Salt and Light blog, Joel is 15 years old now, and, though he and his family have had a difficult journey, they also have witnessed miracles in his life. Joel learned to walk independently, and he can communicate with family and friends through a tablet computer.
Joel is Jiang Ke and Shirley’s first child, and they were very excited about welcoming him into the world until doctors discovered a problem with his heart.
Before Joel was born, a specialist diagnosed him with DiGeorge syndrome, a rare heart disorder that causes physical and mental delays and can be fatal, according to the blog. The couple said the doctor predicted that Joel would die within six months of being born and suggested an abortion.
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For a few days, Jiang Ke and Shirley admittedly considered the doctor’s advice. Then, the hymn at church touched their hearts. Committed to choosing life, they began preparing for their son’s arrival, buying baby clothes that they did not know if he would survive long enough to wear.
Shirley said the doctors warned her that Joel likely would be born blue because of his heart condition. Instead, she said he came out pink and crying.
“He wasn’t blue, he was very pink, just like a healthy baby,” she said.
But the family did struggle. Caring for Joel’s special needs, learning the extent of them and watching him undergo surgery were difficult.
“There was this period of time where he just kept crying from day to night, and I stood in front of him and realized that he couldn’t see me,” his mother said. “Nobody could explain why he was blind, but he just regained his vision.”
His father added, “We kept believing that God would see us through.”
One miracle that God performed in Joel’s life was helping him to walk independently, his parents said.
“It happened in school when he was 7 years old during one of his physio lessons,” Shirley said. “He suddenly could walk from one corner to the other corner, and I was just really crying because it took him seven years for him to walk.”
About a year ago, Shirley said another heartbreak turned into a miracle when Joel underwent an extensive heart surgery and could have died.
“… it was quite painful for me because it’s like someone is preparing your son for death, you know. So I had to step out and I didn’t want to cry in front of him,” she remembered.
The family and their church began praying, and again, a miracle happened. Despite some complications with the surgery, Joel survived and began recovering quickly – twice as quickly as doctors expected.
“One month later when we did the routine scan, we were told that his heart function was back to 100 percent,” Ke Yue said. “Before he was severely underweight – he was 22kg – and now he has gained a total of 10kg.”
Through his tablet, Joel told his mother that he was not afraid of the surgery because God was with him.
“Yes, because God is with you, isn’t it? Jesus is with you and now you feel good. Who heals you, who makes you better?” Shirley said, to which Joel responded, “Jesus.”
Though the family does not know how long Joel will live, they feel blessed to have seen God work miracles in his life.
“Through these 15 years, we have witnessed God’s miracles in Joel’s life,” his father said. “We do not know how long Joel’s heart function will continue to hold, but because he lives we can face tomorrow.”
