Shauna Amick: Real Families, Real Needs
JONI: Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada saying that “real families have real needs.” And of course I’m speaking about families with special needs. Special needs children or perhaps the husband with disabilities or the wife who is a wheelchair user. Disabilities come at us in all shapes and sizes and it forces the family to confront the fact that they’ve got real needs. In fact, Joni and Friends just completed a book and it’s out right now called “Real Families, Real Needs.” And one of the families that we highlight in that new book is the family of my friend Shauna Amick. Shauna, welcome to the program.
SHAUNA: Thank you Joni.
JONI: Tell us a little bit about what you put in that book that would really touch our listeners.
SHAUNA: You know Joni, when my daughter Sarah was born she was born with Down syndrome and a very serious heart defect, and what I always say is that Sarah was born and immediately she started dying. We spent the first three months of her life at Children’s Hospital in Boston, and on the night before Sarah’s open heart surgery her night nurse decided to let her come off of her life support system — just for 20 minutes — because she knew that in Sarah’s short life, I had never held her skin to skin. I had never held her without machines and tubes in between us.
JONI: Oh, my goodness.
SHAUNA: And so that nurse said “I’m going to give you 20 minutes before she goes in to surgery. You can go for a walk anywhere you want in this great big hospital. Just make sure you are back in those 20 minutes.” Joni, I felt so lonely; I felt so invisible and just so abandoned even in that moment — which we know isn’t true, but it’s how my human heart felt. And all I could squeak out when I walked up to a window and looked out over the Boston skyline, holding this dying baby in my arms was ‘Jesus.’ That was my whole prayer. And Joni, I heard in my heart so clearly God saying ‘I see you. I see you and this beautiful baby in your arms.’ Joni, it was what I needed to go into that open heart surgery with confidence in the Lord and it’s what I’ve held on to all the many days after that surgery.
JONI: And Sarah thankfully survived that heart operation. Tell us how she is doing now.
SHAUNA: Oh my goodness, well not only did she survive it, but she is thriving. She is a spunky 12-year-old who runs faster than I can keep up with and has just more energy than any one of us put together. She is doing so well, Joni.
JONI: Oh, I’ve got to dry my eyes and wipe tears away from my cheeks because I just want our friends to know that they can see a video of you and Sarah and Sarah’s brother, Gideon, running, playing, jumping. And when I see that video in my mind’s eye and I contrast it to what you just shared about standing in front of that hospital window overlooking the Boston skyline with this dying baby in your arms … God is good.
SHAUNA: Amen!
JONI: Jesus is with us. God, Emanuel. And friend listening, that is what this book is all about. It’s about special-needs families like Shauna’s and describing what those needs are and how you and your church can make a difference. And let me turn to you, listening friend, you might be a pastor, an elder, you might be a deacon and you need to know that there are families like Shauna’s out there who are just holding on, barely, and they are just praying: “Jesus, Jesus help me.” So friend listening, would you please be the answer to that prayer? Get your church involved in reaching out to families like Shauna’s. You can start by reading this excellent book “Real Families, Real Needs.” I’ve posted information about it on my radio page today at joniandfriends.org where you can order your copy of this special new book “Real Families, Real Needs.” And Shauna thank you so much for being in that book, “Real Families, Real Needs” — and thank you for being with us today.
SHAUNA: Thank you for having me, Joni.
© Joni and Friends
