Baby Cole’s Miracle
But this time, despite multiple hospital staff examining the scan, Abby was told “we just can’t get a good look at everything we need to.” Later, at her next doctor’s appointment, her doctor referred her to the Maternal Fetal Medical Clinic in Springfield for a follow-up.
“He explained, because the hospital couldn’t get a good look at everything with their equipment, she should go to the clinic because they had better equipment, which made for better pictures,” Aubrey says. “To Abby, it came across as just routine — she had no idea that anything could possibly be wrong.”
However, when the scan at the clinic was complete, the doctor came in and told Abby and her husband, Logan, they had noticed some “irregularities.”
There was a problem with Baby Cole’s heart.
As the shocked couple’s minds became numb and fears grew, the doctors said that it appeared Baby Cole’s heart had not formed properly and he had aortic coarctation . . . they needed to go to Kansas City to see specialists at the children’s hospital.
According to the CDC, babies with aortic coarctation have a part of their aorta (the tube that carries oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body) that is narrower than usual, which blocks normal blood flow to the body and can back up the blood flow into the left ventricle of the heart. It is considered a critical congenital heart defect.
“At the children’s hospital, they did more ultrasounds and scans of the baby’s heart,” Aubrey says. “They confirmed the diagnosis and determined that surgery would have to be done once he was born.”
The CDC website also states that babies with a critical congenital heart defect need surgery within the first year of their life. The neonatal doctors in Kansas City explained that Baby Cole would need surgery within days of his birth.
“They told us that the only reason he was alive now was that he was still in the womb,” Aubrey says. “They also had Abby go back every couple weeks to do more scans in Springfield to see if the heart was growing and what was going on.”
From the start, Aubrey says she and Billy reached out to their church family, U.S. Missions family, and social media connections for prayers. Having pastored for 24 years in Alaska, including 15 years in North Pole, soon hundreds were lifting Baby Cole up in prayer.
But trip after trip, scan after scan revealed the same serious defect — surgery would be needed on Baby Cole almost immediately after birth.
The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) doctors in Kansas City determined that they wanted Abby to come stay in Kansas City once she reached 38 weeks in case the baby started coming early, but they would induce at 39 weeks. Doctors wanted to insure the right physicians, nurses, and medical resources were in place upon Baby Cole’s delivery.
And then, the unexpected happened. At 35 weeks, Abby’s water broke. She and Logan, knowing how this turn of events placed Baby’s Cole’s life in even greater jeopardy, raced to Springfield, with doctors quickly gathering a neonatal team together.
“Initially they debated whether to send Abby to Kansas City by ambulance or first deliver the baby in Springfield and then Medi-vac (helicopter) him to Kansas City,” Aubrey recalls. “They decided to deliver the baby and avoid the risk of an in-transit delivery.”
There were so many unknowns now, as although the Springfield team was well qualified, the team of doctors and nurses at the children’s hospital in Kansas City were all children’s specialists.
“We called and put out the word that people really needed to pray now,” Aubrey says, though she admits she was somewhat perturbed when her youngest son, Nathaniel, 20, simply responded, “He going to be fine, Mom.”
Doctors had warned the family that due to the restricted blood flow, Baby Cole could be much smaller than a “healthy” 35-week-old child — in fact, he may not even have the ability to cry and Abby might not be permitted to hold him before he was rushed off to the NICU.
The birth process began with the neonatal team gathered and ready for whatever extreme challenges Baby Cole presented.
Then something happened that amazed the medical staff. As Baby Cole made his appearance, he began to cry. And, he wasn’t a small, underdeveloped child — he was all of 5 ½ pounds (which is considered a typical weight for a healthy, 35-week-old child).
“I could tell by the looks the neonatal staff were giving each other that they were wondering why they were even here,” Aubrey says.
A nurse soon gave Baby Cole to Abby to hold for a few minutes before taking him out to the NICU to do a scan of his heart.
“Billy and Logan went with the doctors to learn the results of the scans,” Aubrey says. “It’s hard to explain the intensity and range of emotions Abby and I were going through at that time, waiting to hear the results — knowing God can heal, yet fully prepared to see the baby flown away to Kansas City.”
After what seemed an eternity, Logan and Billy appeared in the doorway, nonchalantly sauntering into the room.
“Well?” Aubrey recalls herself demanding. “What did they say?”
“Logan finally spoke up, and said, ‘Oh, nothing’s wrong. The baby is fine,’” Aubrey says, pausing as the memory of the moment remains emotional. “And that’s when I hit the floor, hands raised, praising the Lord for a miracle!”
As Baby Cole was still considered a preemie, he stayed in the Springfield NICU for 10 days before being released to go home. During that time, doctors did two echocardiograms — what was “irregular” before was totally normal now . . . what was a critical congenital heart defect was now not.
“People may say that the doctors made a mistake,” Aubrey says, “but we say no — we have all the scans, all the pictures, all the diagnoses — all of that — to prove it. The doctors didn’t make a mistake; the Lord totally healed him!”
Aubrey says Nathaniel later shared that he felt God had confirmed to him that Baby Cole would be totally fine — therefore the reason for his response to her request to pray.
Baby Cole was born Nov. 14, 2024. At five weeks, Abby and Logan were directed to bring him to the hospital for another echocardiogram. The neonatal staff again found Baby Cole to be perfectly healthy — with no need to return!
And today, at 18 months old, now “Toddler” Cole remains totally healthy, of normal height and weight, hustling around the house, and talking up a storm.
“The doctors told us that without surgery, Cole would not live — they had done so many ultrasounds and seen so many scans they were for sure this (aortic coarctation) was what was going on,” Aubrey says. “But the Lord is so awesome — He completely healed him — and Cole is now a perfectly healthy and happy baby boy!”
