Sam’s Story – Don’t Quit

Lion # 104 (Humphery)

Lion # 106 (Sam)

We knew Sam was a fighter long before he was born.  We had many complications during his pregnancy – ones that could be life threatening to both of us.  I was on bedrest for many weeks, but even then we made many rushed trips to the hospital.  Each time we went we wondered if perhaps this might be the end.  But each time, we had an ultrasound that showed his tiny little heart beating strongly and we knew that Sam was no quitter.

The day did come, however, that Sam was ready to be born, even though he’d be a few months premature.  Because of a brief NICU stay with our oldest child, we felt comfortable with what was about to happen.  We knew Sam would have a much longer stay than our daughter, but we also knew that he would be spoiled by all of the loving doctors and nurses there.  As we listened to our doctors explain what was about to happen, we felt no fear, but rather an overwhelming feeling of peace.

I wish I could say our courage lasted longer than it did.  Sam was only two days old when an infection settled in his lungs and nearly destroyed them.  We had prepared ourselves to have a preemie, but we weren’t prepared for him to be “a very sick little boy” (as the doctors would put it).  Suddenly we were terrified, but we didn’t give up hope.  And neither did Sam.

It seems that once one thing goes wrong, many more frustrations follow.  Because of Sam’s lung problems, aggressive actions had to be taken to heal them.  He was put on a medication that prohibited him from moving.  He then gained lots of excess fluid and in a matter of days our tiny baby become a huge, swollen baby.  The stress his body was under caused problems to develop in his heart and other organs.  We felt as though we were losing the battle.  It was at this point, however, that we learned to look for the little victories in our situation.  Sometimes they were very small victories, like the thrill we would get when we’d visit Sam and he would twitch his little toes (which weren’t supposed to be moving because of all his medications) and his vital signs would start improving – all signs that Sam recognized us.

There were big victories too.  Like the first time I got to kiss Sam and feel his warm, soft skin on my lips.  Or the day that we finally got to hold our baby.  There are no words that can describe that miraculous moment.  It was well worth the wait!

Now Sam is a healthy, energetic boy who is approaching his first birthday.  I have always thought of motherhood as a way to enrich and impact someone’s life.  But I never expected it to be the other way around.  Sam has made a profound impact on my life.  Who knew I could learn so much from someone so tiny?  I have learned to never quit, even when the battle seems lost before we’ve begun.  I’ve also learned to look for the little victories, because they do exist even in the bleakest of situations. 

-Ann, Sam’s Mother

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don’t you quit…
Success is failure turned inside out.
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit.
It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.
-Author Unknown