The Puzzle of Elijah - страница 31

…….

Oleg met his Mom at the airport. His brother and sister helped her arrange the flight and paid for her ticket. Oleg’s Mom was planning to stay with us for two weeks. We knew that she would take wonderful care of David, Kristina and Michael. Most importantly, she would give them lots of love. We were so thankful for our family’s help. It amazed us how one event could impact the hearts and actions of so many people and they were all ready to help. We began to realize that what was happening to us and our baby not only affected our immediate family, but impacted our extended family, friends, relatives, neighbors and co-workers. They all understood our pain and tried to help.

…….

Sunday, the third day after delivery, I woke up at 5 a.m. and pumped the milk. Since Oleg was still sleeping, I decided to take the milk to our baby. This was a big deal. I had never walked there by myself before. Holding onto the wheelchair, I slowly walked to the NICU.

“Good morning, Olga,” the nurse greeted me. “You are here early today!”

“Good morning,” I said, happy to be there.

“We have good news for you!” she continued. “Your son’s milk dosage has increased from one to two milliliters! He is doing well!”

I was so happy to hear good news! Through the little incubator’s windows, I could touch my baby’s head, legs and hands. He seemed to be sleeping.

“Olga, have you decided on a name for your baby?” the nurse asked.

“We have not decided yet,” I answered. “I am sorry. I need to talk to my husband about that.”

I spent about an hour by my baby and returned back to my room. Oleg already woke up.

“I have great news for you, honey!” I said. “Our baby can tolerate more milk!”

“That’s great!” Oleg exclaimed.

“We need to give him a name. The nurse asked me about it again.”

“Okay. What names do you like?” Oleg asked me.

“I like Jacob, Elijah, Aaron and Nickolas, but I feel that Elijah would fit our baby the most. It is a Biblical name, which means “My God is Jehovah”. What do you think?”

“I like the name Elijah,” Oleg said.

“Our son has a very serious heart defect and his life will not be easy for him. I think the name Elijah would suit him the best,” I said.

On the birth certificate, that day we wrote:

Elijah Joseph Anischenko

The baby of Oleg and Olga Anischenko,

Born on September 9, 2010.

Oleg visited Elijah and spoke with the doctors. Then he went home to spend some time with our children and his Mother. I had a lot to do: return phone calls, pump and take my milk to Elijah, take my medications and choose healthy foods to eat. My blood sugar and blood pressure were both elevated. Most importantly, I needed to rest and recover.

…….

At about 1:00 P.M., I heard a knock at my door and saw the worried faces of my parents. They hugged me and kissed me.

“It all will be okay, my Daughter,” my Mom said.

“I love you so much,” my Father added and hugged me.

It felt good to feel the love of my parents. I smiled through tears.

“We named our baby Elijah,” I told my parents. “He is your 20^>th Grandchild.”

“We would like to meet him,” Mom said.

I got up, sat in a wheelchair and my Father pushed it with his left hand, his only hand. When we came to the NICU, my parents didn’t say much, just asked some questions. Most of the time, they looked at the baby quietly and breathed in deeply. The nurse took a picture of us. Then, we returned to my room.