It was another beautiful day in Southern California. I was two holes away from completing a round of golf with a good friend of mine. As we approached the 16th hole I thought to myself “there’s no better way to spend your day off than to have good fellowship and good golf.” And then the text came…
Realizing I had missed two of her calls, I immediately called and she told me that while using the restroom at home she felt a gush of water followed by blood. She attempted to call her doctor, however unable to reach him she immediately drove herself to the hospital. When she arrived, the attending doctor did an examination and realized that she was fully dilated, the baby was lying in a breached position, and that her water had indeed broken. They would need to perform a classical caesarean section in order to remove the baby.
As she explained this to me I couldn’t help but notice how calm she sounded. It was as if she was not the least bit concerned. I on the other hand was frantic.
Rushing to my car I drove as fast as possible to the hospital. It was the longest 30 minute drive I’ve ever taken. I couldn’t help but assume the worse… will we lose the baby?… is Holly ok?… why wasn’t I at home?… I should have been there!… My mind was racing, tears were flowing, and all I could say was “Jesus please!”
Running into the hospital I found the nurses wheeling our daughter out of the operating room and into the NICU. There was a team of four nurses and one doctor who huddled around her working to stabilize her breathing. As I approached they parted and for the first time I saw her… Emilie Grace.
After roughly 3 hours of intense treatment to stabilize her breathing and heart rate, she was then airlifted from the Kaiser hospital in Riverside to Kaiser in Anaheim about 30 min away.
As I rode with my daughter in the helicopter I had no idea that our journey of faith had just begun.
Emilie Grace 
Praying for your family Pastor.
God is Able. Will keep you, your wife, & Emilie Grace in prayer. I tell people all the time, please just take a look at the pics of my son. He was a preemie born early via emergency C-section. He’s 16 & 6’2″. Believe you me, GOD IS ABLE!!
Praying for you, Holly, and sweet Emilie Grace all throughout the day and night. Sometimes I wake up praying. She shall live and not die, and her life will be a testament of a God who is STILL mighty to save! I spoke these words over my own daughter. I know God will do it for you guys, too! You may be encouraged by the following story. Tell Holly to check her fb inbox when she can 🙂 http://adjustedsails.wordpress.com/2013/01/12/preparing-for-the-storm/
As a mother from me too you holly hang on sister!!!! We praying in Mississippi
I has to take a moment when I learned of Emilie’s early entrance. Not so long ago, I went into labor at 23 weeks. Fortunately, Marie was born full-term. Prayers made all rhe difference and gave us a miracle. Your daughter is also a miracle and we have all faith in God’s power to heal her completely and to give you both strength. We are praying for you all. Love The Badals
Pastor Yelorda, Holly and Emilie Grace, the Brignoni family is praying daily for all of you!
You’ve got a prayer warrior out here attending Spelman College, Pastor!! God and his angels are with your family. Keep the faith! ❤
Pastor Abdele and I are praying for Emilie Grace. We know that God will work things out. We claim victory in this situation. Stay strong.
We are praying for precious Emilie Grace!! May God continue to give you and Holly strength and continued faith. She’s a fighter!! God is able!!
Praying for you Pastor, Holly, & Baby Emilie!
Remember, Our God is a HEALER , and He is able to turn ANY situation around! NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!:)
We are giving it to Him and CLAIMING the victory!
Keeping you and your family in our prayers tonight. God will take care of you and your family. Before you call, I will answer. The Boles family.
Your daughter is in the hands of the Most High, the Creator and the Greatest Physician. I pray that God would touch her with His healing Hand and heal her completely, I know He will heal her in Jesus’ name. May the Spirit of The Lord comfort you and the family as a whole, keep up the faith!
i am praying for your dtr and family
Pastor… We are praying for you, Holly and Emilie Grace… I pray that the Master Physician touch her with his healing hand… May He bless you.
You saw me before I was born (Psalm 139:13-16) God will take care of little Emilie Grace and his angels will comfort her parents… God Bless your Family
He has His hands on Emilie Grace!!!
i will be praying for your family. i believe and trust she will pull through fine. i think she is going to be a strong fighter.god bless the family and i will keep yall in my prayers.
Do not lose your faith. God will bring you through. He will.
We are praying for you guys!
I can’t wait to see little Emilie Grace, our new little cousin, when we come out there later this Summer. I have faith that God is going to continue to heal and strengthen her. Prayer makes all the difference and we haven’t stopped praying since we heard the news. We love you guys!
There is a God in heaven who hears and answers prayers. I am praying that this “miracle journey” will surely increase your faith. Is there anything too hard for God? Expect great things! I am interceding for baby Emilie Grace and your family as you wait in expectancy for God to perform more miracles. Blessings!
Singing ….. Pass me not oh gentle savior!!!!! Hear my humble cry!!!!!!!
God is ABLE!!! You are in my prayers daily!!
I happened to see someone share your blog on facebook and immediately it caught my attention. Our baby was born at 24 weeks and 6 days. She weighed 1 lb 14 oz. I don’t know who you are but I want to remind you once again that OUR GOD IS ABLE! What God did for our little girl is one of the biggest miracles I have ever witnessed. He knows and He cares. We will pray for Emilie and the rest of your family.
God is able.
God bless and keep you, your wife and your precious daughter.
We serve an amazing amazing God! My daughter was born sept 27, 2012 in severe respiratory distress. The moment the doctor pulled her out i knew something was wrong. I immediately asked why isnt my baby crying. She lied and said they dont always cry when the come out. They let me see her for 2 seconds then she was rushed off as the worked to get her breathing. That hospital didnt have a nicu so she was transported to hospital about an hour from our home. I was still admitted and wasnt able to see her. Praise God my husband was able to go, he sat with her all night through all her trials. It was even more painful that they didnt know what was wrong with her, they tried everything. At the end of the week her doctors said i dont feel comfortable keeping her not knowing what is wrong with her. So we transfered her to a.i. Dupont for children. Within a few days they were able to identify the problem. She had a floppy airway (tracheomalacia). It was a real emotional roller coaster ride. She wasnt getting better. One morning the worse morning for our entire lives we got a call at 3 am. Azriel had coded u guys need to get to the hospital right away. I felt so weak. But my God saved her! The last thing i said before i left her that night is, ‘i have to trust God with her’. A few weeks later we made a very hard decision to allow her to have surgery she only 6 weeks old! I kept think God this isnt fair! she only a baby! that was the best decision we could have made for her as hard as it was! She is now 6.5 months and doing amazing. When i look at her i see a living breathing testimony. She is doing better that doctors thought she would and i know thats the power of God. I know this a long comment but i wrote it bc i want you guys to know that you are not alone. And i can truely say i understand your pain. I had days when i thought i was going to lose my mind, God brought me through. And he will do the same for you. Never let go of his hands. I believe He will bring emilie grace through just as he. Did for azriel.
GOD IS GREAT! HE IS ABLE! HE IS WILLING! IT IS DONE! SHE SHALL BE HEALED! SHOUT NOW!
“Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity”!!!!
“Neither EMILIE nor her parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in EMILIE.” John 9:3
“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness in EMILIE will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” John 11:3
I’ve just received the information through my son Patrick, member of your church. My family, myself, and all my five churches will be praying for you. GOD IS ABLE. He will take care of the situation. “Be not afraid, only believe.”
Emilie Grace is a Blessing, a miracle and God’s promise!!! She will pull through this moment in her young life! May God continue to keep and bless you and Holly. Take Care Seth.
I love you all and your family here in Pittsburgh will be praying for you, holly and precious Emilie Grace.
God arms wrap your family. We will continue to pray in “Orlando, Florida
Emilie Grace will live and not die to declare the works of the Lord.
Prayers are going before God’s throne on behalf of Emilie even from Freeport Bahamas.
God is able!
We will Be praying for the Baby and you both! Luke 18:27
The God we serve STILL does exceedingly abundantly above all we are able to ask OR think! Father, lay your hands upon Emilie–keep her sheltered in the hollow of Your hand. (I don’t know you pastor, but I was a part of the beginning of Mt. Roubidoux church—way back in the ‘olden days’–so I feel kind of connected.)
My prayers will be with you and your wife. Trust God and stay strong. He already knows the plans He has for Emilie, and both of you.
As I read through the posts, tears are coming down my face. I am definitely praying for the family, and yes she will come home on that date:) God is able.
Thank you soo much!!
Holly, Pastor Seth and Emilie God is caring you in his arms! Keep your eyes on the footprints of Jesus. Dedicating this poem to the Yelorda Family!
Footprints in the Sand!
One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord.
Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky.
In each scene I noticed footprints in the sand.
Sometimes there were two sets of footprints,
other times there were one set of footprints.
This bothered me because I noticed
that during the low periods of my life,
when I was suffering from
anguish, sorrow or defeat,
I could see only one set of footprints.
So I said to the Lord,
“You promised me Lord,
that if I followed you,
you would walk with me always.
But I have noticed that during
the most trying periods of my life
there have only been one
set of footprints in the sand.
Why, when I needed you most,
you have not been there for me?”
The Lord replied,
“The times when you have
seen only one set of footprints,
is when I carried you.”
Thank you Dawn for sharing this!!
I stumbled upon upon your blog by watching Vmarie’s youtube channel. There was a link that read “Read Emilie’s story” and I did. So I’m here…Its funny how God will direct and link you to others in similiar situations so you can watch HIS hand move….. Our stories are so similar and my mouth is on the floor literally because on 4-11-13 i was admitted to L&D and diagnosed with severe pre-eclampsia. My baby was delivered via emergency c-section on 4-16-13. She’s a 25 weeker and she’s currently in NICU. Her original due date was July 27th, 2013. They pulled her out early because her heart rate began to drop. I have a blog site/youtube that I will link so you can check out our story since it is so similar. We are a black, young married, christian couple, who loves the Lord wholeheartedly and we are standing in the gap for Emilie. Baby girl, Aerione Soleil was born weighing 1lb.1oz. and 10 1/2 inches long. Here’s the link to my channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nouF1Yxg18 .
I would like to connect with you guys. Please tell your lovely wife to email me (alwaysradianteveryday@gmail.com) I would love to send you guys something and hubby and I will def be praying for Baby Emilie. I don’t know you guys but we are brothers and sisters and Christ so I kinda feel like I know you guys. : )
I’m praying… God is faithful to perform his word. Please lift up our baby too. Her name is Aerione Soleil Jones
God speed!
Mrs. Radiant & Nare Jones
Wow! Holly and I just watched your vlog…lol… we really like it. We might have to steal your idea and give a video tour of her room ;-). Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing your journey with us. Hearing other couple’s stories have really kept us going. And thats what we’re hoping our blog will do for others going through the same… just keep them going. When we woke up on April 11, we had NO IDEA what was in store. However, God knew everything and thats all that matters. As you know, its been a journey with MANY ups and downs. But we’re holding on to His strong arm and will not let go. Our prayers will be for baby Aerione and her full development. I’ll be claiming Psalms 118:17 for her… She will not die but live and declare the works of the Lord!
And yes indeed we ARE brothers and sisters in Christ! Holly will definitely be emailing you very soon.
Maranatha
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart. He is able.
Hey Guys! I have to send you some updates and pics of Aerione. Aerione and Emilie will be turning ONE very soon! So Excited, Thrilled and Extremely grateful for what God has done for both of our girls. Send me Hellos and LOVE to everyone. I’ll most likely do a photo montage and get it over to you guys to see how big Aerione has gotten. Talk with you guys soon. : )