From Dad’s Point of View

Introducing the lady of the hour! Everly Quinn Humiston was born at 4:08PM and weighed in at 7lbs 2 oz!! We are doing well all things considered. Thank you for all of your prayers, support and encouragement up to this point!

As I sit and type this I am sitting in the NICU watching Everly’s team work on her. Throughout this process, our CARE team and support group has encouraged us to ask questions and have a way to process everything going on. In addition we wanted to keep friends and family updated as to what is going on in our life. So was born the Hope Through the Hurdles Blog and Facebook page (http://facebook.com/hopethroughthehurdles). More on that later!

Before we go any further, let’s back up and get everyone caught up and on the same page of the story….

London and I left the Lake to travel up her to St Louis on Thursday night (Halloween) after leaving the girls with my parents. We had MANY conversations about all of the known and unknown hurdles we were going to face throughout this process but we knew the very first and hardest hurdle to get through was saying goodbye to our girls and being separated from them. Needless to say, the amount of conversations and preparations didn’t do us any good as the full reality set in as we pulled away and started our trip. Both of us had full on breakdown. Many tears were shed and I wondered if I was even going to be able to do this…all of it. Any of it. London and I talked almost the entire 3 hour trip; what was the Lord trying to teach us through this, what we were feeling, and so much more. When we finally arrived to the hospital, locked the car and got on the elevator, those same feelings began to creep back in…I’m not ready for this! When we got into our room and settled down there was an eerie stillness as we got checked in. London talked with the night nurse as she answered questions about medical history and got hooked up to machines. I was both excited and terrified for the arrival of my girl as I sat in the corner trying not to let my feelings get the best of me. From the hours of 11pm until 6am (Friday) nothing really happened. I tried many times unsuccessfully, to get some sleep but that wasn’t going to happen. A little after 7am shift-change started happening and over then next few hours, Everly’s medical team came in and introduced themselves to us. Doctors, Nurses and Specialists all came and went. These were the people that were going to be hands on at delivery and there were so many of them. I wouldn’t realize just how many until it was time…more on that to come. Things stayed calm most of the morning and afternoon. Regular check in’s from the nurses, a short nap here and there and the administering of an epidural but that’s as exciting as it got…and that was very quickly going to change.

Shortly before 4pm London’s nurse was doing her regular check-in’s and London started complaining about some pain. Her nurse asked some questions and checked her out and I will never forget that moment. The look on the nurse’s face and the tone that followed as she called for entire medical team to get in the room immediately let me know what craziness was about to ensue. In the blink of an eye our room was filled with doctors and nurses from OB, Peds & the NICU and they just kept coming. A seemingly empty room was PACKED in every direction. In 14 minutes and 4 pushes London went from being dilated at a 6 to Everly being here. To say I was elated was an understatement. All of the emotions from the last month came pouring out as tears streamed down my face. As quickly as Everly arrived, she was just as quickly whisked away. Everly’s medical team began working feverishly on her as the lack of crying became a deafening silence. As I watched from afar the fear came roaring back as I was reminded of all of the conversations I had with the Lord about healing Everly. The nurses must have taken notice as they began to remind us that a CHD baby not crying is actually a good thing. That didn’t matter to me because at the moment because all I could wonder was if Everly was going to live. There wasn’t time for wondering. I don’t know the exact timeframe but whatever it was it was quick As I was still trying to process and focus on everything around me, the Pediatric team called for me as they began rushing out of the delivery room, across the skywalk and towards the NICU. I quickly kissed London goodbye and told her how proud of her I was as I followed the team.

I sat outside Everly’s room for an hour and a half as doctors, nurses, techs, and specialists came and went from her room. A surgical procedure to get her IV’s in her belly button, switching her to the permanent ventilator, X-rays, echocardiogram, placing her feeding tube, tubes in her heart and chest. It never seemed to end. In the midst of the constant hum and buzz of movement in and out of Everly’s room, someone would come and update me on what was going on. “Hey dad, just wanted you to know…..”

As I watched and listened there was a peace that overcame me. A peace that surpasses all understanding…in the midst of the hardest and most challenging event I have ever faced in my life, God saw me and met me right where I was. I was no longer consumed by emotions but instead I sat in the realness that was my current reality. The author of Everly’s story and the God of the universe, was the one in control. I was not. My prayer for Everly’s healing (which included running into the arms of her Creator) was enough for me. I trusted that whatever the outcome of our story, God would give me what I needed, exactly at the moment I needed it and it was ok. This idea of “peace that surpasses all understanding” comes from scripture in the book of Philippians, Chapter 4.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. ⁵ Let your reasonableness^[d] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; ⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

From the moment we first found out about Everly’s diagnosis, this verse and phrase began to show up. As word began to spread about Everly, so did the texts, calls, messages and posts that included this verse. The Lord was up to something. I didn’t fully realize what he was doing but whatever it was, He was making the message very clear. When the movement of the medical team died down, one of the doctors come over and updated me on Everly and then told me probably the greatest phrase I have ever heard…”dad you can go see your daughter.” As I walked in 2 nurses were still working on Everly but they saw me and waved me over. As I looked at my daughter, hooked up to tubes to feed her, give her medicine and breath for her, the fear and anxiety I thought I was going to feel never came. The thing that remained was that peace that surpasses all understanding and boy it didn’t make sense to me.

As I sit writing this with London next to me and Everly in front of me I can’t stop the tears from running down my face. I have experienced the peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding. I will rejoice in the Lord always and I will worship with thanksgiving the God who holds the future of Everly Quinn in His hands. If that doesn’t make sense to you good. It’s not supposed to. It’s supposed to surpass all understanding…including my own.

Now that everyone is caught up and on the same page. A few final thoughts and updates for those who have made it this far! First, many saw the post on the Facebook page announcing Everly’s arrival with no real update. Everly is doing well. When we talked with her team this morning her heart dysfunction & development was worse than they anticipated. She is having daily echocardiograms and is being closely monitored. Outside of that, she is doing as expected by the medical team and they are very positive about that! Second, The outpouring of love, support, messages, calls and any other form of communication has been overwhelming. We feel so loved and supported through all of this. Please know that while we might not respond, the communication is so appreciated! We ourselves are processing everything in real time and it is very overwhelming as we navigate moment by moment. The hour is late and it is time to say goodbye to Everly and the NICU and head back to London’s room to fill out more paperwork, watch videos and start preparing for another day tomorrow.

From Dads Perspective,
Jaron