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The Daily Signal
Our Daughter Was Born With Cystic Fibrosis. We Can’t Imagine Life Without Her.
Mary Vought / Russ Vought
July 30, 2014
A medical exam room is where most parents are presented with “their
options” regarding life. It’s where they are overwhelmed with the
unpleasant diagnoses that their unborn child has a life threatening
genetic disorder. And, it’s where they are first presented with the
challenges and trials that will mark their child’s entire time on earth.
But, it’s also where God’s blessings are revealed.
Our daughter, Porter Louise Vought, was born in February of this year
with cystic fibrosis (CF) – a genetic disorder that affects an
individual’s lungs and digestive organs. When a healthy individual
catches a common cold their lungs fight off the sickness and eventually
return to normal health. Individuals with CF can’t fight illness as
well and in turn their lungs become scarred and riddled with
irreversible damage that only increases with age. Often times this
leads to lung and organ transplants and, eventually, a fatal lung
disease with the average life expectancy in the early 40s.
There are currently only 30,000 individuals in the United States with
CF. In recent years as prenatal testing has become a regular practice
the number of babies being born with CF has decreased. According to a
specific Kaiser Permanente report, 87 percent of babies who were
diagnosed with cystic fibrosis were tragically aborted.
When we look at Porter we don’t see a statistic and we don’t see cystic
fibrosis – we see a bundle of joy who has blessed our lives
tremendously. Because of Porter, our hearts break for sick children and
their families in a new way. We sympathize greatly with those that
can’t afford or struggle to pay for basic medical needs. And the daily
stresses of life that often used to consume us, matter much less.
The arrival of Porter has also deepened our faith in God. Instead of
dwelling on her condition, we have been constantly reminded that she is
“fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) in order “that the
works of God might be displayed in [her]” (John 9:3). Her Creator has a
special purpose for her exactly as she is.
We do not mean to mask the very real challenges involved with caring
for Porter. She has daily breathing treatments, chest physiotherapy, a
number of expensive medications, doctor visits and not to mention the
measures we must take in an attempt to keep her healthy.
For many, the idea of having a child with CF may seem like a heavy
burden, but the joy we receive when she smiles from ear to ear
outweighs that burden. We cherish the moments we have together and
can’t imagine life without her.
You see, our daughter is only five months old but she’s already
completely transformed the way we look at this world. She may not have
the world’s longest life, but she will have a good life, and for that
we are forever grateful.
Russ and Mary Vought live in Arlington, Virginia. In addition to Porter, they have a two-year-old named Ella.
Read this article and others with photos and links at The Daily Signal
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