Member gives birth to health baby after miscarriage, life-threatening pregnancy, call CHM the hands and feet of Jesus, Rebecca Kyle, Dripping Springs, TX

Christian Healthcare Ministries did more than share my medical bills—the ministry helped keep a miracle baby and his grateful mama alive.

I became pregnant in Aug. 2017, just four months after I’d suffered a miscarriage. My husband, Allen, and I were thrilled—and terrified. I had a panic attack during my first ultrasound because I was so afraid there wouldn’t be a heartbeat. Once I made it to 16 weeks gestation I felt I could finally relax and be excited about the pregnancy.

I thought I was home free.

Genetic screening and my 20-week ultrasound showed that the baby was fine. (Editor’s note: Expenses for most types of genetic screening cannot be shared by CHM. For more info, see Guideline R.7.) However, the ultrasound revealed that I had some serious pregnancy complications: placenta previa (when the placenta blocks the birth canal) and placenta accreta (the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall).

The first condition would require a C-section at 37 weeks. I can handle that, I thought. However, the doctor’s next words were sobering: placenta accreta can cause severe bleeding after childbirth. Thankfully, it’s typically only fatal when it goes undetected. Nevertheless, I was now in the midst of a high-risk pregnancy.

I underwent several more scans in January and Feb. 2018. I hadn’t experienced bleeding or contractions, but I’d most likely need a blood transfusion after delivery. I joined a support group for women who were experiencing or who were likely to experience prolonged hospital stays before or after giving birth.

In March an ultrasound showed large blood vessels alarmingly close to my bladder. My diagnosis was changed to placenta percreta (the placenta’s growth through the uterus to nearby organs).

I was told to hope for the best but prepare for the worst: a hysterectomy as a life-saving procedure, a transfusion, lots of IVs, bladder repair, ICU and NICU time and a catheter for a few weeks.

I got on as many prayer lists as possible. My C-section was scheduled at 36 weeks and four days: April 9, 2018. I was told I could be awake for the delivery but would have anesthesia for the hysterectomy.

Remarkably, I felt peaceful. My medical team was amazing. We had a plan. 

But it was human peace from a human plan. On April 5 I discovered that God had His own plan.

Our oldest son, seven-year-old Joshua, had just gotten on the school bus. Allen and our second son, five-year-old Noah, were still home with me. While using the restroom I saw I was bleeding severely and was powerless to stop it.

I started panicking and yelling, This is not the plan! This is not the plan!

We quickly got Noah to a neighbor’s house and then immediately went to the hospital. My plan had fallen apart but God’s plan was still working. A nurse told me I was lucky this had happened on a Thursday morning rather than a Saturday night—all the specialists necessary for my surgery were there.

I spent the next five-and-a-half hours being prepped for surgery, including the insertion of arterial balloons that would prevent hemorrhage and death.

Doctors began the hysterectomy that afternoon just after the baby was born—in perfect health! Meanwhile, I begged not to be put under for the procedure because I didn’t want the additional recovery time away from my little boy. They agreed as long as I wasn’t in pain and the procedure was going well.

Since I was awake I knew how the surgery was progressing. Amazingly, they found that the two large blood vessels hadn’t touched my bladder or any other organs. Furthermore, because of the hysterectomy and all of the preventative measures, I lost less blood than with a regular C-section. My healthcare providers and everyone who heard the news kept saying they couldn’t believe how well it went!

One of my life’s best moments was being wheeled into the hospital room where Allen and our newborn son awaited me. We’d had a difficult time choosing a name—to the extent that my friends stopped making suggestions because I rejected each one. At my women’s Bible study just a few weeks before the baby’s birth, the leader announced that in the fall we’d be reading the book of Daniel.

That’s when it hit me: God was proving His faithfulness to our family just as he did to Daniel, so that became our son’s name.

I’ve had a rough recovery but I’m thankful that in time I’ll completely regain my health. Miracles still happen and I know that someday in heaven I’ll get to hold my third child—the one I never held on Earth. I learned that we don’t always get what we want or plan for, but God has a plan. He keeps His promises.

Christian Healthcare Ministries, too, was faithful to fulfill its promise of sharing our medical bills. Ministry members shared almost $42,000 after more than $125,000 in healthcare provider discounts.

We were blessed not only by the financial help but by each CHM staffer who answered our phone calls and emails. It has been such a joy to be part of this incredible ministry—you have been the hands and feet of Jesus.