by Jon Macklem
Facebook took on an all new meaning when our boys were born. They were born on July 1st . Two beautiful twin boys. Born way too early at 25 weeks. Both under two pounds, with an unfavorable outcome and a difficult path to sustain life. It was a challenging time for my wife and me, and it is difficult to admit that the day the boys were born was not a day marked in celebration and smiles. It was one of, if not the, most frightening days of my life.
Prior to the boys being born, my wife spent a good amount of her pregnancy in the hospital. She fought mightily to keep our boys in, and was subjected to what I can only describe as torture. Without hesitation, she did it gladly and willingly for our family. A couple days before the boys were born we had a sobering conversation with one of the neonatologists. After he raddled off a series of alarming statistics and after I was introduced to the complex medical term referred to as “wimpy white boys,” he concluded the session by telling us that prayer, yes prayer, would be the true key to our boys’ survival. We took comfort in our boys’ future physician voicing his belief in a power greater than he.
The first couple of weeks in the hospital were the hardest. Upon the boys’ discharge months later, one of the doctors revealed that he did not believe that one of the boys was going to make it during those first couple of weeks. We later learned that the hospital staff secretly prepared to help us with the grief of losing one of the boys. Looking back, my wife and I knew things were not going well those first weeks. We knew it in our minds, but we didn’t dare voice those doubts. Rather, we turned our angst, our fear, our weakness upward. We got on our knees, and we prayed.
Our families and friends got on their knees and prayed. The hospital staff prayed besides the boys’ incubators. Our church’s ministers helped us re-center our lives in that critical time. And we prayed for strength. We prayed for serenity. We prayed that our hearts would not become bitter from what appeared to be unanswered questions as to “why us.” We prayed for the boys’ wellbeing. We prayed non-stop.
In those first couple of weeks, it was challenging to keep those individuals praying for us up to speed on the boys’ condition. It was difficult to communicate those specific prayers that we needed in a timely manner. Some prayers were requested for immediate and critical situations. In addition, my wife and I needed an outlet in which to externalize all that was going on in our lives. We were inundated with information and were faced with countless emotions, which taken together were difficult to process. We needed a way to voice our fears and to send praise for answered prayers.
So at an important juncture, a family friend from Huntsville suggested that we set up a Facebook page for the boys. In fact, this friend is the one that set it up for us. I did not think much of the page at first. I figured it would help simplify our lives by allowing us to post information to a single source, but I was blind and unsuspecting as to the value the Facebook page would ultimately have for our family. Not oo long after my wife began posting the triumphs and tribulations of the day, a funny thing happened. People started following it. People started responding to it. I don’t know a thousand people, not even close to that number. Yet, over four thousand are following our boys’ journey on Facebook. Friends and strangers have given us words of encouragement in those critical times when we needed it. In moments where my wife and I wanted to give up, God gave us the strength we needed through Facebook posts and likes. There is a lot to be said for a simple “like” of a post. It’s a simple gesture, but a powerful one. Facebook gave us the platform from which a community of prayer warriors was created.
I suspect that everyone feels alone at some point in their lives. I know I have. You have too. It’s tragic to hear stories of those who succumb to isolation, those whose loss of hope is silent and unnoticed. We were blessed to not be alone during that difficult time. Some would say we were lucky. In reality, God knew we were weak, and he surrounded us with a community of love and support. We are thankful for all the support, and I am convinced that our boys would not be where they are today without all the prayers and positive thoughts. Rest assured that it never gets old to hear someone say that they are “following our boys” on Facebook. I now pray to God for me to have the foresight and courage to help others who are struggling. I hope you make a similar prayer. We have a responsibility to pray it forward and help others. How many times have we ignored messages of distress on Facebook from friends? There are too many than I’d care to admit, but hopefully none no more.
I live in Birmingham, Alabama with my wife, our two twin baby boys, a morbidly-obese chocolate Labrador, and a Shih-Tzu puppy that rules us all. By profession, I’m a business litigation attorney. By passion, I enjoy writing and traveling.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In