“A Miracle Named Joaquim”: A Mother’s Story of Faith, Fear, and the God Who Never Sleeps. Hyn
For every mother, the moment she imagines holding her child for the first time is filled with dreams—of tiny fingers wrapped around hers, of first cries, of life unfolding the way nature intended. But for one mother, that dream was nearly taken away before it ever began. Her son, Joaquim, born at just 34 weeks and measuring in the 1st percentile for growth, arrived in the world carrying not only fragility, but a testimony of faith, survival, and the unwavering presence of God.
It began with a diagnosis no mother is ever prepared to hear. At 34 weeks, doctors discovered that her baby was severely growth‑restricted and losing oxygen to his brain. His measurements were dangerously low. His heart rate wavered between strength and exhaustion. And the medical team—trained, compassionate, and honest—felt compelled to prepare her for the worst.
They looked at her gently and said the words that still echo in her memory:
“Mom… you may not see your baby alive. He may not cry. He may be born without life. You need to be ready.”
In that moment, time seemed to stop. Fear wrapped itself around her chest like iron. Yet even as the doctors spoke, a different voice rose inside her—quiet, steady, and certain.
Because while medicine had given its warning, faith had already planted a promise.
“I breathed deeply,” she recalls, “and I told them, ‘Relax, everyone. He will cry. And his name will be Joaquim Emanuel, because God Himself will be present here.’”
And God was.
When Joaquim entered the world moments later—tiny, fragile, weighing just 1.470 kg and measuring 39 cm—the room trembled with the unexpected. Against every prediction, against every warning, against every fear…
he cried.
A cry that pierced the air.
A cry that said I am here.
A cry that proclaimed life where death had tried to whisper its name.
“The most beautiful cry I had ever heard echoed through that room,” she remembers through tears. “For the honor and glory of the Lord.”
She couldn’t hold him.
She couldn’t touch him.
But she could see him—her tiny boy fighting with every ounce of strength he had.
No one in the room could fully explain it, but faith could.
Joaquim was alive.
And he was already a warrior.
A Tiny Body, a Giant Battle
Joaquim’s first days were spent inside the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a world where miracles happen quietly, behind glass and wires and softly beeping machines.
He faced challenges that would break the spirit of many grown adults.
He endured tests, treatments, and long nights under medical lights.
His tiny chest rose and fell with effort, but it
rose.
Every day in the NICU was a mixture of anxiety and awe.
“He arrived turning our whole world upside down,” his mother says. “He faced everything, overcame each challenge, and lived every minute like a true fighter.”
Nurses watched him grow gram by gram. Doctors documented progress that defied statistics. His parents prayed without ceasing, holding onto the belief that the God who brought their son into the world crying would not abandon him now.
And He didn’t.
Joaquim continued to fight—quietly, powerfully, miraculously.
A Miracle Without Scars
Today, the tiny baby who was expected not to survive is a daily source of joy.
He smiles.
He plays.
He grows.
He thrives.
No sequelae.
No neurological damage.
No physical complications.
No reminders of the danger he once faced.
“Because God,” his mother affirms, “is a God of details.”
Every breath he takes feels like a promise fulfilled.
Every step he learns reminds her that miracles do not always arrive in flashes of light—sometimes they arrive weighing 1.470 kg and fighting for life.
Her son is now a healthy, joyful child, full of personality and purpose, living proof that even the smallest beginnings can carry the greatest destinies.
A Mother’s Love, A Warrior’s Life
Looking back, she often reflects on what she would have given to protect him.
“Son… for you, I would give my life a thousand times if necessary,” she says. “Even knowing I might not get to see you grow, I would choose every single time to save you first.”
But God—oh, God—had other plans. Plans bigger, deeper, more beautiful than fear could ever imagine.
He didn’t just save Joaquim.
He strengthened a mother.
He restored a family.
He wrote a testimony that will be told for generations.
“Son, I love being your mother,” she whispers. “And I would face everything again for you. I love you beyond myself.”
On World Prematurity Day, Joaquim’s Story Shines
Today, on
World Prematurity Day, Joaquim stands as a living reminder that miracles wear many faces. Some enter the world loudly, others quietly—but each one carries a story that deserves to be told.
For every parent who has stood beside an incubator praying for a sign…
For every mother who has listened to doctors list the risks with trembling hands…
For every father who has whispered “Please, God, just let my baby live”…
Joaquim is proof that hope breathes.
Faith protects.
And love endures.
💜 To all the premature babies and all the parents who love them—your courage lights the world.
Abraham’s Fight: A Teen’s Battle Against Bacterial Meningitis
Not long ago, Abraham Cordova was like so many other teenagers. He loved basketball, played video games late into the night, and spent hours at the gym working out with his dad. His life revolved around friends, family, and the bright future he was beginning to imagine for himself.
But last December, everything changed.
What began as what doctors believed were flu-like symptoms quickly spiraled into something far more dangerous. Abraham grew weaker, his symptoms worsened, and his family knew something was terribly wrong. Tests soon revealed the truth: bacterial meningitis. By the time it was discovered, the infection had already reached his brain, unleashing inflammation so severe it threatened his very life.
In a matter of weeks, Abraham’s world shifted from basketball courts and classrooms to the sterile walls of a hospital room. What should have been ordinary days filled with teenage milestones became days marked by procedures, surgeries, and machines working to keep him alive.
Now, eight months later, Abraham is still in that hospital bed. His battle has been relentless. Doctors have worked tirelessly, performing multiple surgeries in an effort to fight the infection and repair the damage it left behind. Each day brings a new challenge — complications, setbacks, and the long, exhausting road of recovery.
For his family, the ordeal has been both heartbreaking and inspiring. They watch their once-active teen face challenges most adults could never imagine. They see the toll the disease has taken on his body. But they also see something else: Abraham’s determination to fight. Despite the pain, despite the setbacks, he refuses to give up.
His father recalls the nights at the gym, working side by side with his son, teaching him discipline and resilience. “That’s what I hold onto,” he says. “That same spirit is still there. It’s just fighting in a different way now.”
The journey has tested everyone around Abraham. His mother has remained constantly by his side, balancing exhaustion with an unshakable devotion. His siblings visit, bringing small pieces of normalcy into a space that feels anything but normal. Friends and relatives have become a lifeline, offering prayers, support, and encouragement through the long months of uncertainty.
Doctors describe his case as complicated, but they also acknowledge the strength he has shown. Each surgery he survives, each procedure he endures, is another step forward, no matter how small. Progress comes slowly, but it comes. And for a family living hour by hour, each small step is a reason to hope.
Bacterial meningitis is rare, but its effects are devastating. It can spread quickly, leaving permanent damage in its wake. Abraham’s story is a reminder of how fragile life can be, how quickly the ordinary can turn extraordinary — and how courage often comes from the most unexpected places.
Eight months into this fight, Abraham’s future remains uncertain. The road ahead will still involve procedures, therapy, and untold challenges. But for those who love him, the focus is not on what has been lost, but on what still remains: his spirit, his will, and the possibility of healing.
The Cordova family has asked for continued prayers, not only for Abraham’s recovery but for the strength to endure whatever lies ahead. They know this journey will be long. They know there are no guarantees. But they also know that their son is still here, still fighting, and still inspiring everyone who hears his story.
For Abraham, the basketball court and the gym may feel far away. But the determination he once poured into the game, into the workouts with his dad, is now being channeled into survival itself.
And as his father says, “He’s still fighting. And as long as he’s fighting, we will never give up.”
