North of Hope

“Lord, it’s just who I am to plan, dream of the future, and set goals for myself, my career, and my family.  I know You’ve given me that gift and given me these desires of my heart, and part of living an intentional life calls for making these plans.  But may I always put You first, and claim peace when things don’t go as planned – knowing You are always working behind the scenes.  May I always choose faith in You and Your grand plan above all else.”

I read this prayer in a devotional recently and immediately saved it, as it spoke directly to my soul.  I am a planner; I always have been.  But in this season of life, with so many twists and turns, I must instead rely on God’s plan.  And His plan for our two babies is shaping up to be a beautiful one, because our embryos are HEALTHY!!!  As I write these words I am still in total disbelief.  So, I’m going to say it again.  Our. Babies. Are. Healthy!  We have become quite accustomed to receiving bad news, so to finally have a positive outcome is an absolute gift from God!

I received an email from our clinic at the start of this past weekend, and when I saw the subject line in my inbox which read “RESULTS”, I instantly set down my phone to pray.  I prayed for acceptance, and that I would find peace with whatever words I was about to read.  When I opened the email, sent directly from our embryologist, it stated the following:

“Dear Emily and David,

This message is to inform you of your PGS (Preimplantation Genetic Screening) results.

Results were obtained on the two embryos which were biopsied/tested.  Natera, your genetic testing company, has identified “2” of these embryos as euploid (recommended for transfer) and “0” as aneuploid (not recommended for transfer).

Per your consent, these embryos will continue to be kept in storage for future use.”

The email concluded by stating that our physician would be reviewing our results and contacting us within a week to initiate the next steps of our treatment.  I immediately called Dave to share the news and his response was filled with emotion and enthusiasm.  He, too, was incredibly thankful to have something to celebrate as opposed to something to mourn.  We shared the news with our family and closest friends, and I have been so excited to share with you all, as well!  Many of you have sent meaningful messages to me stating you have been praying for our babies and I truly believe the power of prayer has impacted our outcome.

We are anxiously awaiting a call from our clinic to discuss the plan, but in the meantime, we are celebrating this tremendous blessing.  Thank you all for your continued support!!

XO,
Emily