Prayers Needed

When I was pregnant, my good friend Sarah sent me a link for her friend Ashley's blog to read her birth story.  Her birth sounded like exactly what I wanted, so I reached out to her to find out who her doula was.  She used a doula who had been mentioned to me by someone else, so I decided to call.  That led me to my doula and eventually to the midwives who all made Sarah Graves' birth such a positive experience.  So, I have felt some gratitude and connection to this lovely person for helping me connect to all these great things and I have checked her blog periodically to see how she is doing with her little one. 

I noticed that her blog posts pretty much stopped in early February, but I didn't think a lot of it because moms are busy people and blogging can be a luxury.  Well my friend Sarah let me know what has been happening to Ashley and her baby Skylar and directed me to their new blog.  My heart goes out to them because what has been happening is a mother's worst nightmare.  Her baby Skylar was diagnosed with a genetic disorder and she is terminally ill.  Skylar has spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1.  Children with this disorder do not live very long because their muscles are very weak making it hard for them to suck, swallow, and breathe.  You can read about Skylar at their website, http://www.skylarmariejones.com/. This family needs a van to help transport Skylar and the many machines that are keeping her alive.  To help raise the money they are having a fundraiser where several photographers will schedule short photo sessions in a park and the fees will go to help this family. 

If you live in the Atlanta area, think about signing up for a photo session (link for the event is on their website).  Please pray for this family as I can't imagine the courage and strength they need right now.