My Baby, My Baby Our Timeless Journey of Faith, Hope, and Love: Two True Stories, Two Mothers, Two Babies, One Amazing God!

By Jennifer B. Sturgeon and Alma B. Allen

Life and death struggles, a common thread that connects us as human beings, are vividly revealed in this inspirational and unforgettable true story as told by a mother and her daughter of their babies, born with life threatening birth defects. Swept away on an uncharted and treacherous journey one thing clearly emerges, God, the ultimate thread that held them together through their darkest hours, was waiting for them there. He gave them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness so He might be glorified through their babies life and death struggles. (Isaiah 61: 3b) At every bend in the road lives were forever changed.

The baby boy unable to ever speak a word about what he endured in his fight for life went to his grave never knowing what a giant impression his tiny handprint had left on every heart he touchedleaving this world a better place than he found it.
For the little girl, the veil separating Heaven and Earth was lifted . . . Mommy, I see an angel! Hoping to get a glimpse, her mommy searched the hospital room eagerly.
Where do you see an angel? her mommy asked.
She pointed overhead, Up there . . . in the corner of my room . . . one angel with big, pink wings. Although her mommy didnt see the Heavenly being, together they felt the comfort of its presence.

On their timeless journey of faith, hope, and love, their loving God went with them through it all: healing hearts, changing lives, sharing their deepest sorrows, and sending his angels to comfort and help them. Their stories, formed in the crucible of life and death struggles, were transformed by the grace of God into a thing of beauty. He hath made every thing beautiful in his time. (Ecclesiastes 3: 11a, KJV)

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: May 12, 2014
• ISBN: 9781496904331

Jennifer B. Sturgeon

The tolling bell welcomed everyone in the small town to the peaceful little church where Alma Bramblett Allen’s journey of faith began. This author accepted Jesus as her Savior there at age twelve when presented with the truth that He loved her and she was not just the sixth born of eleven children, but a unique person that God had gifted to help care for others. After years of practice, a special little boy came along . . . she cared for him, then he was gone . . . leaving her with many memories of him, like his big smile, even in the midst of suffering. Those memories settled down into her broken heart but would not be hushed, crying to be delivered. The author heard their cry, answered their plea, and through this story her baby’s memory has been set free to fly away with healing in its wings. Jennifer Bramblett Sturgeon is the daughter of her precious co-author. Since placing her faith in Jesus Christ at age nine, they have shared much of their journey of faith together. The choices made and example set by her parents when she was young greatly impacted her life and have helped shape the person she is today. God has used her experiences as a sister and also a mother of a child with life-threatening congenital defects to grow and deepen her dependence and trust in her loving Savior and transform her heart. God has blessed her with a hardworking, faithful, devoted husband, Buddy, and nine children, which are gifts from God, to love and serve. She has an Associate Degree in Nursing and worked as a Registered Nurse for eight years before choosing to be a stay at home mom. My Baby, My Baby is their first published book.

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© 2014 Alma Bramblett Allen and Jennifer Bramblett Sturgeon. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   09/10/2014

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0461-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0434-8 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4969-0433-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014906946

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

1. Holy Bible, Nelson KJV. 1976, by Thomas Nelson Inc. : Nashville, Tennessee.

2.   The Knowing Jesus Study Bible, NIV. 1999, by Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

3.   Thinline Study Bible, Busy Mom’s Edition, NIV. 2009, by Zondervan: Grand Rapids, Michigan.

4.   Holy Bible, KJV. 1979 by Holman Bible Publishers: Nashville, Tennessee.

5.   The International Inductive Study Bible, NASB. 1992, 1993 Precept Ministries by Harvest House Publishers: Eugene, Oregon.

Contents

My Baby, My Baby Part 1

Chapter 1   Looking In The Mirror

Chapter 2   Looking At Reality

Chapter 3   Looking For Mother

Chapter 4   Looking At Life On The Big Screen

Chapter 5   Looking For An Escape

Chapter 6   Looking At The Heart

Chapter 7   Looking At My Baby

Chapter 8   Looking Deep Into The Soul Of Suffering - Part 1

Looking Deep Into The Soul Of Suffering - Part 2

Looking Deep Into The Soul Of Suffering - Part 3

Looking Deep Into The Soul Of Suffering - Part 5

Looking Deep Into The Soul Of Suffering - Part 6

Chapter 9   Looking Forward To Independence Day

Chapter 10 Looking At Precious Moments Together

Chapter 11 Looking To God For Mercy

Chapter 12 Looking At The Present

Chapter 13 Looking At Our Only Hope

Chapter 14 Looking Death In The Eye

Chapter 15 Looking Beyond The Grave To Eternity

Chapter 16 Looking Unto Jesus

My Baby, My Baby Part 2

Chapter 1 Stepping Out On Faith

Chapter 2 Holding On By Faith

Chapter 3 Walking Daily In Faith

Chapter 4 Finding Hope With Faith

Chapter 5 Still Walking By Faith

Acknowledgements

A special note of gratitude from Alma Bramblett Allen to the following people for their unique contributions:

To Bruce Allen, my former pastor, who left me with the thought that I should write a book about the way our extraordinary God works in the lives of ordinary people like us, to accomplish extraordinary things for His glory, praise, and honor.

To Aunt Condie, who taught by example the wisdom of journaling; my own journal being a well of information and inspiration to draw from in writing this book, breathing new life into old memories that I hope will never die.

To Sami Solinger, who convinced me that my baby’s story should be told and that I was the one who should tell it.

To David Rayborn, my former pastor, who challenged me through a sermon I heard him preach to keep my vows to God even if that meant moving out of my comfort zone to accomplish it. That very day I blew the dust from my journal, swept away the cobwebs that had built up around my memories, and began to write my story. As the words flowed onto the pages, so did the many tears which had been waiting to escape for years… tears of healing.

To each of you who helped with our pictures, especially to Bill Rodgers Jr, Rodgers Studio, 224 West Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40601; you have once again proven that one picture is worth a thousand words.

To my husband, Roscoe Allen, who joined our journey later in life and can relate to our loss in that his own son died in his first year of life, as well. You encouraged me in my writing and graciously helped us with the expense of publishing. Our dream of going on a missionary journey together will be complete if only one life is touched and healed through sharing this book. Praise the Lord!

To Jenny, for your hard work, patience, perseverance and precious time spent grueling over our manuscript bringing it to completion. Enjoy the fruit of your labor; our book finally in print… our story.

To Aunt Thelma for what you did for me before I left earth for heaven; helping me with that very special gift and letter to give to my mommy so that she would always know how special she is, how much I love her, and so she would have something to remember me by. Love Forever, Michael

A special note of gratitude from Jennifer Bramblett Sturgeon to the following people for your unique contributions:

To my husband, Buddy Sturgeon, for your love, encouragement, and support as I wrote our story. You are my best friend and I am so thankful God gave you to me so we could walk this journey of life together.

To all my children: Tucker, Tanner, McKenna, Teague, Tate, Keylee, Brayden, Ellianna, and James, I love you. God has blessed me greatly by giving me the blessed privilege of being a mom… your mom. I am thankful for each of you and for every moment we are blessed to share.

To Keylee Braveheart, you are truly a miracle. Your story is one of an amazing God who saved you. As you grow, may your story become one you tell with your own lips, and may you too grow in faith and trust in Him.

To my mother, you are an amazing woman! I rise up and call you blessed. Your example of following and loving Christ inspires me to want to do the same. It has been a joy to work on our story together, and I am so thankful God blessed us with this opportunity. We can truly say God has led us during this entire process, and if not for the grace of God, we would not have been able to accomplish it. I love you mom! Thank you for unsealing your journal and sharing your story with me and the world. May God be glorified!

To Roscoe Allen, my second dad, thank you for loving me and my family like your own. You are so good to us! Thank you for making the publishing of this book possible and for being willing to make sacrifices throughout this long process. May God bless you for your kindness and generosity.

To each person who walked this journey with us by loving us, encouraging us, helping us, blessing us, praying for us, and sacrificing for us, I am humbled and filled with thanksgiving when I remember your faithfulness. Your kindness, love, and generosity have impacted our hearts and lives forever and we will always love you for the ways you served us during this time. We will never forget you!

We are also immensely thankful for Dr. Erle Austin III, Dr. Christopher Mascio, The Heart Nurse Team, Kosair Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Cardiology Associates, Hearts and Hands Palliative Care Team, Jean Tessier, Skye Murray, Jeanette Carter, Lynn Miller, Ms. Flo, and every staff member of the hospital for your amazing care of Keylee and our family during this journey. Your knowledge in your area of expertise, your passion for your job, and your compassion for our daughter and our family made all the difference. You have blessed our lives significantly, and we thank God for each of you. Thank you for being a part of our story!

A special note of gratitude from both authors for your unique contributions:

To Ralph, Ceri, and Lambert Gosney—for encouraging us and helping us update our old computer and joining all our files together to be able to complete our manuscript.

To Tina Smith—for donating her time and talent to help edit our manuscript, while working tirelessly to keep up with the fast pace of her own family and all their activities as well.

To Trinika Laughlin—for blessing us with your words of encouragement and using your meticulous eye to help complete our final manuscript.

To each person who so graciously gave us permission to use your work in our writing in order to clarify or enhance it may you be blessed by any success that might come from our book as well.

To each person who helped us in any way down through the years, though your name does not appear for lack of space, you are not forgotten in helping to form and shape our story.

To our team at Author House Publishers—for your professional, patient and personal care in guiding us, as first time authors, to the completion of our book. You have helped to make this a very pleasant experience. We are forever grateful to each of you who helped in any way in the publication of our book. What a beautiful job you have done!

To those who prayed that this book would be finished in your lifetime… your prayers are answered.

Dedications

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13, NIV)

This book is lovingly dedicated to my family, especially to Michael and Keylee whose precious lives have inspired us to tell their story. What a sweet journey of faith we’ve walked together… with each step bringing us closer to God and to each other. To God be the glory!

Alma Bramblett Allen

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess His name.

(Hebrews 13: 15, NIV)

This book is dedicated to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to my precious family with all my love. This is my sacrifice of praise. May He receive all the glory, for He alone is worthy!

Jennifer Bramblett Sturgeon

Foreword

I MET JENNY and Bud Sturgeon on a Friday morning in the summer of 2006 while visiting the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Kosair Children’s Hospital. The nurse manager had requested a prayer time on Friday mornings for any staff who wanted to join the chaplain for words of hope and encouragement. Other hospitals typically transfer NICU patients on Fridays, and it is usually a very busy day. During this particular Friday a couple I had never seen before joined us for prayer. The couple was touring the NICU because their soon-to-be-born little girl would be staying there after having a life-saving open heart surgery. This couple was warm and friendly, and looked very eager to join us for prayer. As a small group of staff held hands to pray, we clasped Bud and Jenny’s hands and asked for God’s hand to be on them for the journey ahead. We prayed specifically for the sweet little babe in the safety of her mother’s womb, who would have a tough journey ahead of her. She would need three open heart surgeries in her first few years of life to repair a congenital heart defect. It was a tender and special moment as I remember it now, six years later. Little did I know the depth of love I would feel for this little baby girl, Keylee Almarie Sturgeon, as she went through many tumultuous hospitalizations.

As a pediatric hospital chaplain I have seen families face the unthinkable. These trials can lead to crises of faith, conflict, deterioration of coping skills, anger and abandonment. Although the Sturgeons have a remarkable story of Keylee’s surgeries, they also have a remarkable story about growing closer together with each other and with God throughout the rollercoaster ride of their daughter’s heart repairs. They were a family nurses clamored to care for and instantly bonded with as Jenny and Bud shared their stalwart faith in a God who would see their daughter through surgeries, infections, developmental setbacks, temporary muscle paralysis and more. And God did see them through—the beauty, intelligence, curiosity, tenderness and joy of their now 7-year-old daughter is a testament to God’s great faithfulness.

As I walked with the Sturgeons through the years of Keylee’s hospitalizations, our hearts were woven together in a way that is one of the highlights of my ministry. We shared the riches of our faith in a God who binds the broken-hearted. When we talked about the love and hope we have and wondered about the way God was working even in the midst of great pain and anxiety over Keylee’s health, my faith was encouraged and challenged and my skills for being with families in crisis sharpened. I carry this family’s story and struggles with me as I continue to minister to sick little ones and their parents, siblings and relatives. I carry their hope in a God who will never leave them or forsake them. Their gratitude is ever on my lips to a God who saves, over and over and over again.

On one particular morning, Keylee had a follow-up surgery. I sat with Jenny and Jenny’s mother as they waited, knowing full well that a return trip to the operating room carries the worry of further complications and delays in recovery. During our time together waiting for the good news of a successful surgery, we started talking about the importance of our names. They asked me about my name, Skye. I shared the story of my parents picking out my name after looking at a map of Scotland. They liked the name Skye because of the Isle of Skye in the northwest Hebrides Islands. I shared my experience of visiting the Isle of Skye when I was 20, and told them about the rainbow that greeted me on the day of my arrival as I walked across the bridge from the mainland to the island. That rainbow was like the fulfillment of a promise to me, of coming home and being embraced. Jenny’s mother smiled and smiled as I shared this story. She then talked with such tenderness as she shared the story of her son who died of a heart defect many years ago and how he had a special rainbow pillow that she bought for him. The image of a rainbow was one of hope and God’s presence, and the promise of God’s love and embrace even though she could only embrace her son for a short time on earth. God’s love and beauty and embrace was all around him—and was around Keylee.

Moments of deep connection and love occurred throughout Keylee’s time in the hospital and continue still. My hope for you, dear reader, is that in reading this family’s story you will also experience deep connection with a God whose love is greater than any pain, fear or heartache. I hope that you, too, will experience the grace of our God, who knows each one of our tears and each one of our joys, and whose faithfulness and loving kindness embraces us anew every morning.

The Rev. Skye Murray, M.Div., BCC

Chaplain, Kosair Children’s Hospital

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MY BABY, MY BABY

PART 1

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CHAPTER 1

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LOOKING IN THE MIRROR

My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

Psalm 139: 15-16, KJV

The%20family%20Photo.jpg

The Bramblett Family

Front left to right: Jenny, Alma holding Michael,

Back left to right: Billy, Elmer Lee, Jody

Taken October 2, 1985, at Liberty Hall Gardens Historical Site,

by Bill Rodgers Jr

Used by permission

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MY BABY, WASHED in my tears, tucked safely into the treasures of my heart, and covered with the warmth of my love is forever a precious memory to me. I am so grateful to God for our short time together which forever changed my life. It all began as a game of hide and seek. I was seeking to further my education and for two years had made the 60 mile round trip commute from our little country home to a small women’s college. I was enrolled there as a full-time student and was working on an Associate Degree in Nursing. I had maintained better than average grades but had to study long and hard, which did not leave a whole lot of time for anything else. However, our family had adjusted and my husband and three children were very supportive, taking over a lot of my responsibilities at home.

One morning, shortly after returning to school from summer break, I sat in nursing class listening to lecture and taking notes when suddenly I became very nauseated… sort of like I was coming down with a virus or something. The lecture, which had been foremost in my mind, and the sound of my teacher’s voice gradually faded into the background as I pushed my note pad and pencil aside, jumped up from my desk, and ran the short distance to the ladies’ room. There I fell to my knees and gripped the side of the toilet; everything on the inside of me turned wrong side out, as I heaved forcefully, trying to expel whatever had invaded my body. Finally, the heaving stopped, leaving me empty and weak. I pushed myself up from my position on the floor and slowly made my way to the wash basin. I turned the squeaky water faucet on, and as the cold water ran over my hands, a stream of warm sunlight beamed through a tiny window behind me into the dimly lit room. The light struck the mirror situated over the wash basin, and as I gazed into the mirror, the pale face of a 39 year old woman with a very weary look in her eyes was revealed. Weary because she had missed her period that month; weary that right in the middle of seeking to obtain an Associate Degree in Nursing, evidence of an unplanned pregnancy was mounting.

While continuing to stare at the pale face in the mirror, I cupped my hands under the faucet, caught a handful of cold water, and slapped it onto my face. I turned the squeaky faucet off. I turned my back on the reflection in the mirror and the thought of being pregnant. I made my way to the open window, and the early morning breeze was refreshing as it filtered through the screen into the stuffy room. I took a deep breath and made my way back to class, where the lecture continued. Picking up my pencil and continuing my notes, I felt relieved that the sickness had passed for the moment. For my peace of mind, I concluded that it was probably a virus which would soon pass.

However, the nausea continued and I knew it was time to call my OBGYN. My doctor ordered a pregnancy test, so I had that done. I anxiously awaited the result, as there were no instant pregnancy tests in those days. Meantime, I tried to stay focused on school.

We lived in a little mobile home in a small rural area where we had been a part of the close knit community for 17 years, and all the neighbors were just like family. Upon arriving home, I found my 42 year old husband, of 17 years, in the yard with our three kids, along with several other neighbor children. He was working on a bicycle, while the kids enjoyed their last few days of freedom together before returning to school from summer break.

My husband called his new line of work, such as fixing bicycles, peddling. He had taken up that occupation after becoming disabled with heart and kidney disease. His disease had first manifested itself at age 37 with extremely high blood pressure. He was taken from work to the hospital and was admitted to intensive care. Upon release, he was treated with medication, but finally had to undergo a quadruple by-pass open heart surgery. Tests revealed that he had extensive heart damage and diseased arteries. The disease progressively grew worse, and he was unable to maintain gainful employment. The doctor declared him permanently disabled. However, it was not in his nature to give up; therefore, he used his time and talent helping neighbors fix whatever they had that was broken. It gave him a feeling of usefulness. He often commented that he wished that he could go to work in their place. However, we understood because of his poor health that it was not to be.

We also understood that our years together might be cut short due to his illness, and I lived with the thought of that everyday. In that event, I wanted to be prepared to support myself and our children. As part of that preparation, I was going to school—which was my top priority, while he assumed a supportive role, helping in whatever way he could. He had always been supportive, helping with our children and with housekeeping as well. He seemed to enjoy cooking, and occasionally on the weekends, would make pancakes and smother them in butter and syrup and serve them to me. He did not even seem to mind washing the dishes afterward, but at times became a bit overwhelmed by the massive amount of them.

With our children and all the neighbors stopping by, we always had a sink full of cups and glasses. It seemed there was never a clean glass when I needed one, so I purchased a bunch of light weight plastic ones so we would have enough to go around. The cabinet was stuffed full of them when they were all clean and put away. Occasionally, upon opening the cabinet door, pastel color glasses galore would tumble out and hit the floor, bouncing slightly, rolling under foot—leaving me to understand why the glasses were called tumblers. One day, upon arriving home from school, I went to the cabinet for a glass and nothing tumbled out. The glasses were not there. They were not in the sink. There were a few half clean ones turned upside down in the dish drainer. Then I noticed the bulging dark green garbage bag. I peeked inside, and the mystery of the missing glasses was solved. My husband had thrown them in the trash!

I went out to the front yard where he was still working on the bike and quietly confronted him concerning the glasses. He told me that it was his remedy for too many glasses to wash. He had instructed all of the kids to be responsible for keeping their own glass clean. That resulted in the kids running a little water over them and turning them upside down on the dish drainer. Since I had completely turned the responsibility of dishes over to him, I accepted his remedy without question and was thankful that he had fully taken charge of them, as well as the cooking and a lot of the other household chores. I went back into the house, gladly washed my tumbler, and filled it with ice tea. I sat down on the soft, cozy brown sofa in the living room, and propped my feet up. Cool air from the vents circulated throughout the house as the central air unit hummed quietly outside our back window. My husband came in, announced that the bike was fixed, and that he wanted to talk to me. I presumed about the glasses. He quickly let me know that the glass issue was settled, and he actually wanted to ask about the pregnancy test. I was to call the following day to check on the result, and even though we both felt apprehensive about the possibility that I might be pregnant, we agreed