Patrick Christopher

I found out in November of 2003 the morning that I went in for emergency surgery that I was pregnant. Being 35 years old and an insulin dependent diabetic I was considered high risk. I was sent to Fort Worth to a high risk ob named Dr. Tabor. After month number 2 they told me that the baby was going to have problems. First they said it was a heart problem and with each visit it was one scare after another. Around my 6th month they told me that he either had Hydrocephalus or Holoprocencephaly. I cried and prayed every day that God would help my little boy Christopher. He decided on June 18th, 2004 that he was on his way a month early. I went to my local ob for the usual blood pressure and heart rate check and my favorite nurse Deborah was watching me closely and asked if I could still drive when I said yes she told me to get to the hospital. I walked into the hospital it was sunny and all seemed well. Within a hour it was storming out. They had discussed care flighting me to Fort Worth but when they called Dr. Tabor they had no beds available at Harris Methodist so they told me that I would be going to Baylor by ambulance. They tried to stop my labor but Chris was on the way. I knew I would have to have a vertical c-section. A very old and dear friend drove to Dallas that night to be there with me for the delivery. I had never been so terrified in my life. Not only was I alone I was going to find out if my little boy would live more than 2 years or not. Roxann arrived sometime in the middle of the night and I finally broke down and told them to put me in the next open slot because after 36 hours in labor I knew that there was no stopping my son. We thought his lungs were only 50% developed but as soon as he was delivered and given an oxygen blow by we knew he had lungs. Within a few minutes they also came back and told me that he had hydrocephalus and they could fix the problem. I cried and thanked God with every breath that he would be ok.



He was taken 24 hours later to Children's Medical Center and taken immediately to ICU. I had to wait till the next morning before I could go. I had 1 day at Baylor and 1 day at Children's to bond with Chris before he had the first of 13 surgeries. At 3 days old he had a third ventriculostomy. That lasted around 3 or 4 days before the surgery failed and he had to go in for shunt placement. The first 2 surgeries were the worst on me I think because when they call and tell you they are going to be in recovery and you can come back in a little while. The first surgery I waited 1 1/2 hours and they still had not called me to come back. I spent the whole time begging God to let me keep his son for a little while longer.





Chris has undergone an ETV, shunt placement, shunt revision, 2 eye surgeries, 2 oral surgeries, hernia repair, 2 cranial reconstructions and 3 minor day surgeries. Chris had cranial reconstruction at Medical City Children's in february of 2006. I was told 2 days in ICU and at least another week in pediatrics. That surgery was done on tuesday morning and we were at home that friday morning. Before this last surgery he could not hold up his head or sit up. Dr.s Sacco and Fearon removed 300cc of fluid from his ventricle and cut down the back of his skull to fit the smaller size. He is now the head butt king and if he is not sitting up then he is asleep.



God has blessed me with a beautiful, happy little boy. His achievements are mind boggling. I know without God we would not have made it through all of the hard times thrown at us. I know that when parents hear there is a problem with their babies it is the hardest thing to survive but I am walking proof that if you give it to God you will be amazed by the miracles you witness. I came to see the surgeries not as a set back but as an opportunity to witness another miracle.



Right after I had Chris I went to a mall somewhere around the hospital and had gone to the bathroom. I had a mother walk up to me with her daughter and ask if she could pray for my son. I was shocked and said yes. She asked God to heal Christopher's head and after she was done and had left the restroom I realized I had not told her I had a son in the hospital or what was wrong with him. I walked out and tried to find her but they had disappeared into thin air. My mom was walking towards me and I asked if she had seen the mom & daughter and she said no - no one had come out of the restroom. That was the morning that I knew that Christopher would be fine and that his angels would be with us. God bless all the children and especially heavens very special children.

~Jennifer
Christopher's Mom

To learn more about Christopher you can visit www.littlechristophersjourney.com