Emma's Story

As many of you know, God is blessing us with another little girl, Emma Grace. I have created this page to keep all of our friends and family updated in one place. Here is her story.

On February 25th, the same day we found out we are having a girl, we also found out there is some extra fluid in Emma, and my doctor suggested we go to a specialist.

March 1st, we visited the specialist and they did a 45-minute ultrasound to determine what exactly was going on with Emma. The good news is, that all of her organs are working perfectly. However, the doctor found that there is extra fluid in Emma's lungs, stomach, and face, causing swelling. This is called Hydrops Fetalis. This can be very dangerous, so Justin and I decided to have an amniocentesis done to try and determine the cause. An amniocentesis is when the doctor puts a needle through my stomach to draw out some amniotic fluid, and it would determine whether it is a genetic disorder or an infection causing the hydrops. He used an ultrasound to watch Emma so he would not accidentally poke her with the needle, and she has already proved to be a fighter by kicking the needle that was invading her little home! It would take about a week to get the results back from the amniocentesis, but the doctor told us that her case was mild at this point, and gave her a 95% chance of surviving.

March 5th, the doctor wanted to do another ultrasound to see how Emma was doing, and to see if the fluid build up had progressed. The swelling in her face had gone down, but there was more  fluid around her lungs, which moved her case from mild to moderate. We received the preliminary results from the chromosome test, which meant that there were no initial signs of a chromosomal disorder, such as Down Syndrome. We were still waiting on the infectious disease results from the amniocentesis, but we were hopeful to find the cause of the hydrops, and that it would be something that could be treated.

March 11th, we got the final results from the amniocentesis, and unfortunately everything came back negative. This means there is no way to determine the cause of the hydrops, and therefore no way to fix it. There are two types of hydrops, immune and non-immune, and since there is no identifiable cause, Emma was diagnosed with non-immune hydrops. The doctor informed us that because there is no way to fix the fluid build up, the chance of Emma surviving is 10%-15%. He gave a few options that may be able to help, but not fix. He suggested that we have a Fetal MRI done, because they can see 20%-30% more than an ultrasound, and might be able to determine the cause of the hydrops. Austin does not have a specialist that does Fetal MRIs, so we will be traveling to Houston this Thursday, March 14, to have this done. If there is still no cause found, the doctor suggested that he put a chest tube in Emma. He would give me anesthesia, go in through my stomach, give Emma a shot in her arm to numb her, then insert a tube about the size of a straw between her ribs to drain the fluid. This would not fix the fluid problem, because Emma's body would still create more fluid, but it would keep draining the fluid that her body creates. The reason this would help, is that if the fluid around her lungs increases too much, it could start pressing on her heart and cause stress. It is also important because when she is born, there needs to be space for her lungs to expand so she can breathe. Another option the doctor gave, was that if her condition worsens, anytime after 24 weeks, he would admit me to the hospital and put me under intense monitoring, and when it was safe, he would deliver Emma early by C-section.

As you can imagine, our hearts are breaking. Receiving news like this is something we never expected. We walked to the car after the appointment and just sat and cried together. No words can take away the pain, but that is okay because neither of us could even find words to speak. I cannot imagine going through this without God, Justin, and our families and friends. Thankfully, God has given us both an overwhelming sense of peace. We are so incredibly blessed that we can completely rely on God to carry us through this journey. If I had to carry this heavy burden myself, I don't think I could even get out of bed every morning. I believe one of the most difficult things about being a parent is not being able to take away your child's pain, or take their place. There isn't anything we wouldn't do to heal Emma, but right now all we can do is pray and trust that God is holding our little girl in His mighty hands. Every time I have driven to and from the doctor, the song "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" by Chris Tomlin has been on the radio. I have no doubt that God is using that song to constantly reassure me that He is by my side.

Our God is a big and powerful God. We know that regardless of the outcome, He will never leave our sides. We hope that you will join us in praying for a miracle for Emma Grace.


Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)
by: Chris Tomlin

You hear me when I call
You are my morning song
Though darkness fills the night
It cannot hide the light
Whom shall I fear
You crush the enemy
Underneath my feet
You are my Sword and Shield
Though trouble lingers still
Whom shall I fear

I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side

My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear

And nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful

Nothing formed against me shall stand
You hold the whole world in Your hands
I’m holding onto Your promises
You are faithful