Baby Rudy's Story

Baby Rudy - Captured Hearts

Baby Rudy joined our family on Thursday, November 11, 2010. He was born January 21, just nine days after the earthquake killed his father. Rudy's 17-year-old mother brought him to us because she "didn't want him to die in this condition." He was extremely malnourished, and his skin hung from his body. His cry was weak and sounded more like a newborn baby than a 10-month old. He only weighed 8.8 pounds.

The nannies immediately began to care for Rudy. They bathed him and fed him. A rocking chair was brought in to ease his discomfort with being held. When I visited him and held him, he would hold his little hand up to my mouth for me to kiss. Our pediatrician came every day to check on his progress. He had a terrible cough, and was not gaining weight.

After being with us for a week, Rudy began vomiting. On Friday, November 19 we took him to the hospital. The first hospital told us they couldn't treat him because of his severe malnutrition, but they did send us to a hospital that could. A nanny stayed with Rudy at the hospital 24 hours a day. She fed and cared for him. Every 12 hours the nannies would switch.

On Sunday, Rudy was put on oxygen because of severely labored breathing. He was suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. On Monday, Pierre, two missionaries and I went to the hospital, circled around Baby Rudy and sang and prayed over him again and again - petitioning the Lord to bring healing to his little body, to not only help him to survive, to bring him to a point of growing and thriving. Rudy was very alert and even grasped my finger with his sweet hand... That is when I cried.

We had learned earlier in the day that the doctor suspected pneumonia as well as tuberculosis, but Rudy was not able to be transported for an x-ray. He was on the first step of their severe malnutrition program and received only small amounts of special milk every 30 minutes. That is all his little tummy was able to tolerate at one time.

When I arrived at the hospital on Tuesday afternoon, Rudy had visibly worsened. We began seeking answers to questions, and sought the help of additional medical personnel. We were told that the blood transfusion he had received had not helped yet, and we were waiting for him to urinate. I prayed and prayed, and finally put my hands on his small back, where his kidneys would be. I asked that whatever was blocking his kidneys from allowing urination would move in the name of Jesus. A few minutes later, Rudy urinated in the small bag attached to him! We celebrated, and then went home to get some sleep.

Wednesday brought news that Rudy was in a coma. His eyes were no longer open, and his breathing was beginning to grow more labored. Another blood transfusion failed to bring desired results.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., I went to see Rudy in the hospital. I arrived around 10 a.m., and was informed again that his conndition had worsened. He struggled to take each breath, and there was no response when you touched his hands. I spent the day at the hospital because I just couldn't leave. He had swelling on his brain and blood around the brain. His pupils were dilated and they said they had done everything they could do. Now, his body had to do the rest.

Someone had told me I had to prepare myself for this precious baby to die. I had refused to do that. I was holding on to hope that the Lord would bring him through. But, the thought continued to run through my head and I spent the day wrestling with the idea that he might not make it. The last thing I wanted to happen was to see this little one die. As the day wore on, I realized that the man was correct. My prayers became truly about God showing mercy to this little one, whatever that may look like. As I watched his labored breathing, I realized how much I truly love this little one, and how much I want what is best for him, whether that be to recover from this, or to go and be with Jesus.

I watched three nurses try desperately for over an hour to find a vein for Rudy's IV, with no success. I watched them call in a surgeon to open up his leg to locate a vein. The surgeon worked with extremely dim light for almost an hour and a half and finally found something he could work with. The whole time, I watched Rudy's gasping breaths. Over and over I kept singing "You Never Let Go" (words below) over Baby Rudy. When I left at 3:00 p.m., he was in the same condition. But, I was in a much different condition than I had been the last time I left his side. I have to trust that God truly is sovereign. That He is God and I am not, and in that, His plan for each of us is perfect. Even His plan for Rudy. And His plan for me. And His plan for each of you.

On Friday, November 26, 2010 at 2:37 a.m. Rudy went home to Jesus. After hearing the news of her son's death, Rudy's mother Wideline, accepted Christ as her Savior. I am thankful for this tiny child, sent to teach us so many things, one of them being how you are to fight with every fiber of your being for what you know is true and right. I am truly rejoicing at the healing that God gave to Rudy - not on this earth, but in His presence. I am sad that he had to suffer so much in his life, but I am grateful that God, in His infinite mercy, wisdom and love, brought Rudy home to experience eternal peace, love and joy, and that now his mother will join him one day.