An expectant mother’s worst nightmare is learning that her unborn child with have birth defects. This is not easy news for any parent to hear, but it is perhaps harder to live with after the news has been shared. Because once a parent learns that his or her child will struggle to stay alive, that person now has to be brave and push through the situation.
Suha Dabit is a mother and photographer. Her daughter, Nadia, had been born with Congenital Heart Disease, and the experience taught Suha first hand what it was like to watch her child fight for life.
Thankfully, her daughter made it through. Because of her experience, Suha was able to share her newfound strength with mothers all around the world.
“After five and a half months of waiting, we received the call. They found a perfect match, a whole, four ventricle heart, her lifesaving gift, a new chance at life,” Suha writes to Love What Matters. “After nearly six months of waiting and praying, we were able to bring Nadia home again. This is why I became a photographer.”
Since that heart wrenching experience, Suha has turned her talents toward supporting other parents in similar situations. She knows how stressful it can be to sit idly by as your newborn fights to stay alive, so she uses her photography skills to soothe the situation. “I wanted other families to have portraits they could hold on to and cherish forever,” the photographer explains.
Her work might be rewarding, but it isn’t easy. Suha shares that roughly 1 in 100 newborns are born with a congenital heart defect every year. Some of these children are able to recover from their conditions, thanks to modern medicine and generous organ donors. Unfortunately, this brave woman also watches many babies lose their battles.
One loss was particularly devastating to the photographer, as was it to the child’s loving family. Kristi and Justin watched with broken hearts as their little girl drew her last breath. The grief Suha felt for this family was just too much – she knew she had to share her experience. She wanted to generate awareness for CHD with a powerful message:
“I could tell you that Adalynn is one of the 20 people that die every day waiting for a transplant. Or, I could tell you about my perspective of what it was like being in that room to document their last moments together as a family of six. But there aren’t any words to describe the pain and love I witnessed.”
The woman ended her post with a semblance of hope. “Fly high baby girl,” she told the dearly departed infant. “You fought so hard and touched so many lives.”
Her message is not lost on our ears. If you are able to donate your organs, know that they will go to a great cause. Or if you are unable, remember that compassion is the key to mending a broken heart.
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