June 2018 SPECIAL EDITION October 2015 Issue | Página 2

October 2015

A Gift of Hope
Jenny Doskey, VOL’s Director of Religious Education, was thrilled to hear the news that her niece Erika Jones and her
husband Stephen were expecting their second child. But soon after sharing her joy with the parish staff, Jenny learned
some disturbing news and asked that we all pray for her niece’s unborn baby, Abigail. Doctors told Abigail’s parents that
she would be born with Down Syndrome. That wasn’t the worst part. At 30 weeks, Abigail’s parents were told that she had
a large, inoperable brain tumor, and they were unsure how long the baby would live, if she even survived the pregnancy.
Against all odds, Abigail was born at full term, and to date, is 8 weeks old. Their incredible story of faith and hope is one
that is best told by Abigail’s parents. The following are excerpts from the Jones’ blog and Facebook page.

“Stephen and I want to share our Abigail’s life with you, knowing that God will use her and her story
to touch those around us. We don’t know what this dance of joy and grief will bring, but we do know that her
life has a purpose, for some incredible reason, she has been given to us.”
-Erika Jones, mother of Abigail Jones

August 13, 2015
“… how could you deal with a terminal diagnosis for your newborn baby? How could you watch her die? My
thought is this – I am not any kind of exemplar of godly anything. I am merely human trying to keep my head
above water. I am more doubtful than Thomas, more careless than Peter, and have betrayed my Jesus more
often than Judas. I don’t know how Jesus loves me but I know he does, regardless of the flaws others may not
see. Truth is, you don’t know what you can live thru until it happens.”
August 17, 2015
“I’m afraid to sleep, waking up means a brief period of panic while I make sure she’s
still alive.”
August 20, 2015
“Two weeks you have been here with us. Two weeks and countless moments of joy and
wonder. Those eyes looking up at me, those lips puckering, those little fingers grasping
at mine. Staring at you, trying to memorize every detail… I should look at everything
like I look at my Abigail.”
August 23, 2015
“At some point, we’ve gone from living in fear and anticipation of Abigail’s death to celebrating her life. It’s a
beautiful thing. We are ready to live through this, rather than just merely survive.”
August 26, 2015
“We called Dr. Beier yesterday to ask some questions. Abby is doing so well, we wondered if that was normal
or if maybe there were some doubts about her diagnosis.”
August 27, 2015
“God is grace, mercy and love. We haven’t asked for it, expected it or strived after it. It has always been
there, at the same overwhelming level, but we were so shut off to it that we didn’t realize it.”
“God has purposed all of us to be His reflection on this earth. In being that reflection, bringing people to Him
that so they won’t experience an eternity away from Him. Abigail has that same purpose. How God will use us
to fulfill that purpose is not up to us…She is God’s child, just as we are. He has entrusted us with her care,
life, and development of her soul.”
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