A Mother’s Courage, A Child’s Miracle  On January 31, 2020, in Illinois, my 24-year-old daughter Ward welcomed her baby boy, Elijah, into the world.  But Elijah didn’t arrive with an “easy” beginning.

He was born with amniotic band syndrome—a rare condition where strands from the amniotic sac can wrap around a baby during pregnancy, causing serious injuries and deformities.  For Elijah, it meant damage to his left foot, right hand, and face—and he was born with a cleft lip and palate.

It also caused severe microphthalmia, leaving his right eye much smaller and unable to respond to light.  Still… the first thing he felt wasn’t fear. It was love.Because a mother’s arms can become a child’s safest world—and a mother’s courage can turn pain into purpose.