“I came out of this better —and with a baby!”

For much of her life, Anna Weeber had suffered from migraines. But this wasn’t just an ordinary headache—this was a deadly aneurysm. And suddenly, Anna was fighting for her life and her baby’s . . .

Turning off the TV after watching a football game with her husband, Nate, Anna Weeber was about to get their two-year- old son, Declan, dressed for a bike ride when suddenly, her head began to pound.

Anna was no stranger to headaches, having suffered agonizing migraines ever since she was a teenager. But this was worse than anything she’d felt before.

Perspiration gathering on her brow and upper lip, the Zeeland, Michigan, mom—26 weeks pregnant with her second child—started vomiting. “Nate,” Anna called. Then, suddenly realizing that she couldn’t move the left side of her body, she blacked out . . .

Calling all prayer warriors!

Terrifi

ed, Nate dialed 911 and jumped in the back of the ambulance with Anna, leaving Declan with his grandparents.

Nate wished there was something he could do. More than anything, Anna needs prayers, he realized, posting on Facebook: Urgent!!! ALL PRAYER WARRIORS. Please pray for a miracle for Anna and our baby!

At the ER, a CT scan revealed that Anna had had an aneurysm, a ballooning in a blood vessel in her brain that had ruptured. “About 50 percent of patients who have a ruptured brain aneurysm don’t even make it to the hospital alive,” vascular neurosurgeon Justin Singer, M.D., explained. And of those who do survive, most suffered lasting physical and mental disabilities. Whenever they’d faced anything difficult—a rough situation at work, or the loss of a loved one— Nate and Anna had gone through it together. But this . . . this was Anna. How will I get through this without her? Nate wondered. Dr. Singer cares about all his patients. But this family struck a deep chord with him. They were so much like his own family. His wife was expecting, too. And he knew that whatever it took, he had to help Anna beat the odds . . . A shunt was installed to decrease the pressure on Anna’s brain. And after conferring with a maternal fetal specialist, Dr. Singer felt confident that the best course of action was to surgically insert a clip to isolate the aneurysm so that it could be safely removed. “If she were my wife, this is what I would do,” he told Nate. Placing his trust in him, Nate posted another Facebook plea. Please, please pray that Anna’s body will respond well and that little baby boy #2 will stay in there, happy and healthy!

As word spread, hundreds of people—family, friends, friends of friends . . . and then caring strangers who just read Anna’s story and felt their hearts touched, prayed for Anna and the little life growing inside of her.

When Anna awoke after the procedure, her first question was, “Our baby?” “He’s going to be okay!” came the reply.

As Anna’s eyes welled with tears of relief, Nate was overwhelmed with gratitude. Anna was speaking. She had regained movement in her left side. She was back!

“Thank you, Dr. Singer!”

Anna

would have to remain in the hospital for a few weeks. As Declan visited, climbing up beside his mommy, they snuggled and read. And every morning and night, Anna would rub her belly, singing to the baby that each ultrasound showed was remarkably fine. Blessedly, after 18 days, Anna could go home.

We’re so grateful for every one of you and your prayers! Nate posted. And Anna shared a picture of herself and her funky half- shaved-hair, joking: I got that trendy new haircut ( be- cause of brain surgery!).

The next weekend, they took Declan apple picking. And soon after, Hudson Steven was born, completely healthy at a whopping 10 pounds, four ounces!

Cradling Hudson, Anna marveled at everything they had endured together. Me and you— we’re both miracles! she thought.

A week later, Dr. Singer and his wife welcomed their own baby girl, Jordyn. And once they were home, too, they scheduled a “playdate” with the Weebers.

“This is the doctor that saved Mommy’s life,” Nate told Declan, who beamed, “Thank you!”

Today, Anna feels amazing. Not only does she have no lasting complications, but her migraines— caused by the aneurysm that she had likely, unknowingly, had since childhood—have vanished!

“We will be forever grateful to Dr. Singer, to the thousands of people who prayed for us, and to God,” Anna marvels. “We witnessed a ton of miracles, and not only did I come out better, we now have a beautiful baby!”

“The only way to live is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle.” MARGARET STORM JAMESON