Beech Tree News Network

19 MINUTES TURNS INTO A MIRACLE-As any expectant mommy, Abby Lynn was so excited to be planning the birth of her first child. The pregnancy had been going well, and everything was in line for her to have her baby girl, Addilyn Hutcheson. But in the blink of an eye, as we all know it can, her world changed. At 33 weeks pregnant, on March 15, 2016, Abby Lynn ended up in the emergency room with difficulties with the pregnancy. While being examined by the nurses, it became very clear that there was something happening that was causing them not to be able to find the baby's heartbeat. When they were successful in finding it, after taking way to long, the heartbeat was only 74 and decreasing very quickly. Scary times were taking place in Abby Lynn's life (who that the time was only 16) and the life of her unborn child was at risk. I can’t imagine the emotions that this young lady had to have running through her mind and how scared that time must have been for her and her baby.

The doctor decided quickly that Abby Lynn had no other option but to have an emergency C-section. The doctor determined she had experienced a placenta abruption. As many of you probably know (I did not), this is a serious pregnancy complication in which the placenta detaches from the womb. When I researched this (because I wanted to learn more about it), I learned that only about 1% of all pregnant women would experience placental abruption.  When this happens, the baby gets no oxygen or nutrition from the mother.
The C-section was performed, and Addilyn entered this world BUT did not breathe for the first 19 minutes after birth. Praise God; they did not give up on this child.  CPR was performed by all the doctors and nurses for this whole time (19 long minutes), and finally, Addilyn's life began, weighing in at 3 pounds and 15.8 oz.
 Addilyn remained on a ventilator for the first six days of her life. On the sixth day, she was transferred to Monroe Children's Hospital in Nashville, and the ventilator was taken off, and she began breathing on her own. Step one of showing her willingness to fight!

The chances of survival were not looking promising for this sweet baby girl.  Abby Lynn was given the news that baby Addilyn may not survive. The baby girl had been diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy  (brain damage caused by lack of oxygen) and high muscle tone.  High muscle tone is usually seen in babies with Cerebral Palsy, but when I asked Abby Lynn about this, at this time, it is unknown due to not being able to be tested for that until she is three years of age.
Addilyn had failure to thrive, meaning her weight and height fell below the third or fifth percentile, therefore at seven weeks old, she had to have a feeding tube placed. Each day, this little fighter was improving though, and the test started coming back better each time. The doctors told Abby Lynn that her baby girl would never hear or see, but that is still not proven to be completely true. God had already performed a miracle by giving this beautiful baby girl life after not breathing the first 19 minutes after birth, nothing is impossible “with man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible” (NIV Matthew 19:26).  More testing will be done for this also at the age of 3-4 years old.
Ten days after the surgery to place the feeding tube, this little fighter and miracle child, was on her way home for the very first time. I will NEVER understand how any person on this earth could not believe in miracles. This beautiful child is living proof.

I’ve had the privilege of taking Addilyn’s pictures twice (and hope to have many more opportunities), and I’m here to tell you, the first time I saw and held this child, she took a piece of my heart home with her. She is the sweetest little thing, and I thank God that he brought her into my life and had given me the opportunity to spend time with her and her sweet momma.
Please keep this baby girl and her mother in your prayers daily.
Thank you, Abby Lynn, for sharing a piece of your daughter with me and sharing her beautiful story of her miracle thus far. God isn’t done with her here on this earth yet and miracles happen every day.
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About Debby:
In 2014, I felt a calling from God to change the course of my photography. Here is a little info on Today's Miracle Photography:

Memories last forever; I have a deep passion for photography and writing, and have had for many years. I wanted to tie these two together and use my passion for the glory of God. When our granddaughter Lexi (not by blood) was born, and shortly passed, I felt God wanted me to share her story, from that point on, I've felt that calling. To reach out to people that have had miracles performed in their lives, to bring awareness to terminally ill people, people that have lost loved ones, people that struggle with addictions, just various aspects of life that God works miracles in.
God works miracles everyday, share yours with me and lets share it with the world. I believe these people I photo shoot and write about need prayer and the best way to start a prayer chain and praise God, is with a big group of people that will share all over the world. No miracle is to great or small to praise God for.

I have a page on Facebook named Today's Miracle Photography, please follow me there to capture these incredible people's story's and photos as well.

Debby Lanham