By Carina Agreda

'I thank God for my son's life'

By Carina Agreda

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador—On Nov. 7, 2002, we took our son David Emmanuel, who is now four years and eight months old, to his first visit with the orthopedist.

David and Carina Agreda with their
four-year-old son, David Emmanuel.

The doctor was late in seeing him, and I was already upset because of the delay, but I thought, we are in a public clinic and the visit is almost free of charge. I was able to keep my emotions in check after seeing how kind the doctor was toward everyone who surrounded him.

When we were called to enter the consulting room, my husband, David, carried our son. The first thing the doctor asked was whether we knew why he was recommended to us. I answered, Because it is the normal procedure of the Cerebral Palsy Center (where David has been cared for). We gave him our son’s medical summary, which the doctor was already familiar with because he had the file in his hands. Nevertheless we answered, David has a cerebral dysplasia brought about by a cytomegalo virus that prevented the development of his brain.

Since he was eight months old, David has been convulsing a lot, which does not allow him to advance in his psychomotor development; and to this day they have been unable to control his convulsions very much.

A delay in inserting a valve in his brain until he was 11 months old aggravated the situation. However, the valve relieved pressure on David’s brain that prevented him from movement.

The doctor asked if we were aware that David had the cognitive development of a four month old infant and the motor development of a two month old.

As I answered the doctor’s questions and listened to his words, a knot in my throat kept growing. For a moment I felt I could not breathe, so I asked my husband for our son and embraced him. I was able to breathe and not cry.

As the doctor examined David he asked: “When did you become aware of the child’s problem?” I answered that it was during the 27th week of pregnancy. Then he asked: “What would you have done if you had found out during the first sixth weeks?” I answered: “Nothing.”

He continued asking: “What would you have done if you had found out at three weeks, at two days or at one hour of conception?” Already bothered, I said: “If you want to know whether I would have aborted him, well no, I would not have done it.” He then finished by saying: “That is right, lady, these children are a blessing from heaven and God knows to what parents he sends them to.”

Sometimes we believe we are doing God’s will when we accept each trial, because we think that if we remain in prayer it will help us to overcome the trials and receive from him the strength that we need.

In our prayers we say, “Thank you Lord for what you have given us.” I can think that way in regard to material things such as work and food. But what happens when we go through trials that tear at our feelings? All of a sudden the suffering that I have had seeing my son’s limitations came to mind.

Later I considered what God suffered seeing his only Son in his passion and death on the cross. The suffering that our Lord Jesus Christ endured because of his love for us filled me with a profound gratitude because I could never compare that suffering with mine.

That day, after leaving the doctor’s office, I really felt a great strength to continue working for the Lord and be truly grateful for my son’s life, the way he is, with that disability. It was then that I was truly able to say, “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything.” That day I also felt that much of my pain had left.

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