WEBVTT 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:01.760 I'm Tim Rogers. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:05.599 I'm Ingrid Rogers, and we're members here at Church of the Grove. 00:00:05.759 --> 00:00:10.240 And we have been for, I guess, about three years now, three and a half years. 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:20.480 We actually knew the Butcher family way back when Russ was at North Star, and we had moved to Texas, then we moved back to the Loganville area. 00:00:20.719 --> 00:00:24.239 And so it was easy for us to find a church home. 00:00:24.879 --> 00:00:31.440 We have three children: Harrison, who's seven, Emmeline, who's four, and Darcy, who is nine months. 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:35.520 And we are expecting again in June with another girl. 00:00:35.920 --> 00:00:43.679 When our third child was three months old, we found out that we were expecting again, which was um quite a shock. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:52.960 Um, but we really felt God was telling us that He has four children for our family and that this child is meant to be here. 00:00:53.280 --> 00:01:01.600 So um, fast forward a little, we did find out it was another girl, um, which was another shock to have three girls. 00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:12.560 And um and fast forward again to our anatomy scan, uh, we were taken by surprise when we found out that um she wasn't 100% okay. 00:01:12.879 --> 00:01:22.879 Um, we had our ultrasound done, and we sat down in the room with a midwife, and she said to us, um, overall, your daughter looks good. 00:01:23.200 --> 00:01:28.959 But and what came after that butt was my mind was racing. 00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:30.640 What was she gonna say? 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:50.400 Um, a lot of fear set in, and she explained to us that the ventricles in her brain are enlarged, and um, this can or cannot be diagnosed as something called hydrocephalus, and she probably needs surgery as soon as she's born to place a shunt to help the fluid drain correctly. 00:01:50.640 --> 00:02:01.599 And um, she kind of set up what our next steps were and meeting with a specialist um and getting a better ultrasound done. 00:02:01.680 --> 00:02:16.479 Um, so we did have that done, and he did confirm that yes, this is hydrocephalus, and um look, there's not a lot they can tell us about her development because we won't really know until she's developing outside the womb. 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:29.599 But he said it could be she could be totally fine, or she could be um someone who can't walk or can't feed themselves the rest of their life and is completely dependent, um, which is a wide range. 00:02:29.919 --> 00:02:37.039 But she um will need surgery, and so our next step was to get a fetal MRI done. 00:02:37.280 --> 00:02:59.520 So we had the fetal MRI done, and um the radiologist went over the scans with us right after and confirmed again everything that we kept hearing, and um the pictures were a little clearer, so she was able to tell us that her hydrocephalus is considered severe and that her prognosis was not good. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:20.960 And this was you know, it's very upsetting to hear that your child um is not perfect, and um through all this, you know, of course we prayed a lot, and we really felt this overwhelming peace come over us, and the Lord telling us don't be scared, don't fear. 00:03:21.360 --> 00:03:28.319 Um she's my child, she is in perfect hands, and she's exactly how I want her to be. 00:03:28.719 --> 00:03:39.919 And as a radiologist was talking to us, Tim and I were just kind of sitting there frozen, listening to her, and I think she was a little shocked that we weren't in tears. 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:50.240 And when we got back to the car, Tim said to me, he said, when she was talking and telling us these results, I just felt this overwhelming peace come over me. 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:56.400 And I really felt like God was saying, You can listen to her, but you need to trust me. 00:03:56.639 --> 00:04:34.480 And I told him that I felt the exact same thing, and um which, you know, when that happens to two people, it really solidifies the presence of the Lord in that room and the fact that he does have this, and that we don't need to fear, and that we need to find the joy in this, that this child is going to be a testimony of God's work, and um, so we really leaned on that and have chosen that we're not gonna be, you know, this isn't gonna tear us down, this isn't gonna make us sad, this is we have to find the joy in this, and we have to find the positives. 00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:47.600 And I remember just throughout all this, I've had this weird feeling, like just this joy and this positivity, and uh something that you normally wouldn't feel when you hear this kind of news. 00:04:47.759 --> 00:04:51.920 And I remember telling Tim, I can't wait to see what she does. 00:04:52.079 --> 00:04:53.839 I can't wait to see how God works in her. 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:59.360 I can't wait to hear her testimony, and I can't wait to see how she impacts other people. 00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:04.959 And um, so our next step was to meet with the neurosurgeon at Children's. 00:05:05.279 --> 00:05:10.800 Um, so we met with him and um he went over that she will indeed need surgery. 00:05:11.040 --> 00:05:23.199 There, it could be for a shunt, but it could be something called a third ventric, third endoscopic, third ventriculostomy, um, which is a riskier surgery but a better outcome. 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.959 Um, so we are praying that she's a candidate for that. 00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:39.519 Um but he was just meeting with him was very encouraging because he's not basing everything off of data and numbers and studies, but off of what he's really seen. 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:45.120 And he's told us that if she's gonna have hydrocephalus, this is the best kind to have. 00:05:45.439 --> 00:05:48.480 Um, and that he thinks her prognosis is good. 00:05:48.639 --> 00:05:58.079 So um it was really encouraging to hear him, and again, just brought more joy to us that you know not everybody's giving us bad news. 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:15.360 Um so we have and in fact, he did say this is probably the best news that you've gotten so far because everything leading up to that point with the radiologists and everything else, of course, they're giving you the worst possible scenario that you could ever imagine. 00:06:15.519 --> 00:06:20.800 So everything we had heard up until that point was was very, very um hard to hear. 00:06:20.959 --> 00:06:34.399 You know, we um like Ingrid was saying, that a lot of of of what we were doing was, you know, really putting our faith in God, and we really felt like that meeting with uh with the surgeon was a huge um godsend for us. 00:06:34.720 --> 00:06:47.920 Um so we did end up um getting connected with a a mom who had actually she's done this seven years ago, um, and her story is very similar to ours, including the size of the ventricles and everything. 00:06:48.160 --> 00:06:54.000 Um, and so I'm very thankful that we got set up with her just for encouragement for someone who's walked through this. 00:06:54.160 --> 00:07:01.040 Again, it's not just a study or data, but it's a personal experience, and that's been very encouraging. 00:07:01.279 --> 00:07:10.879 And um she had told me how she switched doctors so that she could deliver at Northside in Atlanta so that she um would be closer to children's health care. 00:07:11.279 --> 00:07:13.120 So we have actually done the same thing. 00:07:13.199 --> 00:07:24.399 Um I was supposed to deliver in Athens, but now we're delivering in Atlanta in order to be closer to the children's hospital because she will be transferred probably the same day or next day. 00:07:24.560 --> 00:07:32.079 Um, and I will have to have a C-section, which is new to me as well, um, and I'll have to stay in the hospital longer. 00:07:32.399 --> 00:07:50.959 So um we really feel like um that God has kind of placed people in our path to encourage us and to keep us um joyful in this and to not worry and fear, but just reminders here and there that he's he's got this. 00:07:51.120 --> 00:07:54.160 Don't worry, no, you don't need to be scared. 00:07:54.319 --> 00:08:00.720 I've formed her exactly how I want to form her, and I have a story ready for her, and this is part of it. 00:08:00.800 --> 00:08:05.600 And so we do have a scheduled C-section on June 17th, which is when I'll be 39 weeks. 00:08:05.680 --> 00:08:29.199 Um, and due to all the COVID um things going on, we um aren't really sure what that day's gonna hold as far as restrictions on the hospital and restrictions on us going back and forth to see her, and um but we are choosing not to fear, we're choosing not to worry about this because God has given us no reason to worry through this whole thing. 00:08:29.439 --> 00:08:44.559 And I know that a lot of us are going through a lot right now, whether it's through pregnancies or losing a job or struggling financially, and my encouragement to you would be just to choose joy and don't fear. 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:56.080 If we choose joy and amidst the pain and the suffering and the sorrow, it's amazing to see what God does and how God works and really what he has for us. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:09:03.519 So I would just encourage you to open your hearts and be willing to let God in and show you that joy that He has for you.