October 2021

My story about our sweet Mary Francis in honor of Respect Life Month…

     July 28, 1995 was our wedding day!  What a glorious day it was. Danny and I didn’t know much but there was one thing for certain we knew.  We wanted a big family.  Danny is one of six and I’m one of five.  For us, this was a no brainer.  We had our 1st child, Caroline, in March of 1998 and our 2nd child, Emily, in December of 1999.  Then I found out I was pregnant for our 3rd child in April of 2001.  We were thrilled. Baby #3 arriving in November!   Well on our way to having that big family.  It was a completely normal pregnancy.  I felt great.  I went in for my 20-week ultrasound and everything changed.  Our little world would never be the same again.  They said something didn’t look right but they weren’t sure exactly what it was.  After running different tests we were told that our baby had Trisomy 13.  Wait, what’s that?  We had never heard of this.  After talking with lots of doctors we were told that our baby if born alive would only live a few days.  This news was gut wrenching!  We kept thinking how can this be?  Why is this happening to us?  Why do bad things happen to good people?  And this is where our faith kicked in.  Msgr. Swenson was pastor at SCS at this time.  He came to our house to pray with us and he said, “God doesn’t want bad things to happen to people; He allows them to happen.”  This statement from Msgr. Swenson really did change Danny and me forever.

     Of course, we were praying for that miracle.  Praying that our sweet baby would be born healthy.  So for the remainder of my pregnancy, we prayed to the Blessed Mother and Father Seelos for intercession.  We decided her name would be Mary Francis. PLEASE, PLEASE, heal this baby!  Then it hit us.  We were praying for what we wanted but not for what God wanted.  We weren’t listening to Him.  We could only hear our own prayers.  This is when we changed our tune.  We started praying for acceptance.  Let His will be done not ours.  Trust in Him!

     As anyone can imagine we prayed a lot during this time and leaned on our family and friends for support.  Where was God leading us?  What good was to come out of this pregnancy and this precious life that I had growing inside of me?  A good friend of mine kept telling me to pray for signs.  God will send them, she said, I promise!  

     Well, on November 1st (All Saints Day) our baby stopped moving and succumbed to Trisomy 13.   On November 2nd (All Souls Day) I delivered Mary Francis.  We held her and kissed her just like we did when our other 2 children were born.  It was a beautiful experience, one that I treasure every day of my life.  We had a funeral for our baby girl and while it was an awful day it was also a beautiful day!  Celebrating her life with our closest family and friends.  What a true blessing family and friends are during difficult times!  This precious baby, even though we didn’t have much time with her, taught us SO much about Life!  She was a blessing to so many!  

     So, while we may not ever understand why God took Mary Francis from us so soon, we do know that she continues to affect our lives each day.  I know that my relationship with the Blessed Mother is because of sweet Mary Francis.  I feel like I have a special bond with Her.  The rosary is my absolute favorite prayer and one that I say often.   This precious innocent life made us realize how fragile life is and how beautiful the gift of life is to us all!  

     After sweet Mary Francis we were blessed with 4 more children.  Our outlook on life had completely changed.  Life is precious!  From beginning to end no matter how long or short that life may be. I will never forget what Archbishop Hughes told us at her funeral.  He hugged Danny and me, took our hands, looked us both in the eye and said to us, “Thank you for choosing life!”

     I still get signs from her all of the time.  Sometimes I can feel her presence. I know she is watching over all of us.  And what a blessing that is!  I look forward to the day when I will get to hold her in my arms again.  She would have been 20 years old this November.  

Genesis 33:5 These Are The Children God Has Given Me.  God Has Been Good To Me.