Young boys survived many health complications, thanks to intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Special to The B.C. Catholic



In February 2015, I e-blasted all my family, relatives, and friends, appealing to them to pray for the survival of my daughter Gemma’s twin boys.

At week 21 of pregnancy, the doctors had found that Baby A showed very little sign of life, and didn’t seem to be receiving enough nutrition. Baby B seemed to be sharing his nutrition with Baby A to keep his brother alive. The doctors were afraid this was jeopardizing the condition of Baby B and recommended killing Baby A; their word was termination.

Full of faith, we prayed to Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom Gemma affectionately calls “Mama Guada,” We also prayed to Jesus, the Divine Mercy, and Santo Nino.

The next week, at week 22, the doctors were surprised Baby A was surviving on his own without the help of his brother. God’s miracle!

At week 25, the babies were born prematurely at one and two pounds, with a five per cent chance of survival. During the surgery, Baby A (one-pound Eoghan) slid out with the placenta, but was hardly connected to it. His survival for 25 weeks with hardly any nutrients flowing into him was a total miracle.

Two days after birth, the medical team could not stabilize two-pounder Ciaran’s breathing for almost five hours. They rushed and called my daughter and her husband Michael to say goodbye. Gemma entered the room with a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Within 30 minutes, Ciaran was breathing normally. God’s miracle!

On the third day after birth, one-pounder Eoghan was rushed into surgery. Both his small and large intestines were ruptured, and they had to be disconnected. He survived the surgery. God’s miracle!

On the sixth day after birth, Eoghan’s heart was failing. The surgeons performed heart surgery to repair it. One pounder Eoghan survived. God’s miracle!

After 10 days, two-pounder Ciaran had to undergo heart surgery as well, but he survived. God’s miracle!

When the boys reached four months, Eoghan underwent surgery to reconnect his intestines. His lungs collapsed three times during and after surgery, but he survived. God’s miracle!

On Holy Thursday this year, March 24, the twins celebrated their first birthday. The twins are thriving, at 18 and 19 pounds. They now babble, laugh, crawl, and make a mess while they learn to eat on their own.

I know Mama Guada kept the babies in the hollow of her hands at all times. We all thank the mother of Jesus for whispering our cries and sorrows to her Child. We thank her Child for His mercy on Gemma’s babies.