The
very best mother I've ever known is my only daughter, Jessica Layne Duncan
Magill. She is the mom we all wish we had. Devoted to her son, Kellan, she
spends endless hours making sure he has all the best in everything. Jessica
wasn't supposed to have children. Through prayer and a tremendous effort on her
part, she was able to complete an IVF and have a little boy.
When she was 34 years old, Jessica
was told she couldn't have children. Her physical problems had overwhelmed her
body, rendering it impossible to carry a child to term,
let alone allow her to
get pregnant in the first place.
Since being a mother was her life's
and heart's desire, Jessica refused to accept that diagnosis.
She asked for a miracle from God,
and asked all of us to pray for one.
She insisted her doctor perform
surgery on her to prep her for the possibility of a pregnancy even if it wasn't
going to happen. The kindly old doctor from South Florida relented, though he
kept counselling her that it didn't mean things would change since she had
multiple issues. He did encourage and support her, though, and told her
anything was possible, and that
he would do his best to insure she had a
wonderful ground to "grow on."
Once that was prepped, she began a
series of hormone treatments to stabilize her system which was completely out of
balance and malfunctioning. It had been for years, which was unbeknownst to
us.
Then, after several months, she and
her Coastie (Coast Guard) husband got permission for funding from the Guard,
rallied support from her family, and sought a fertility clinic.
Jess and Kev named themselves: The Magill In It To Win It Team!
At the clinic, the doctor and nurse
assistant looked over her chart and were skeptical. They considered all she'd
been through and all she'd done to set the stage for her conception. However,
the doctor said he had a 95% success rate and he would do all he could to make a
baby happen for Jessica and Kevin. They were fully committed to the Magill Team
"In It To Win It" goal.
The nurse practitioner, Lynn, was
Jessica's biggest supporter at the fertility clinic. Encouraging her when the
shots and medications hurt Jessica tremendously, leaving her body battered,
black and blue...welted and sore. Lynn would call, taking a personal interest
in her, telling her she would make it and not to worry.
Jessica never lost hope or faith.
She endured all with a warrior woman's strength.
She would have her baby at all costs,
and she wouldn't be denied.
Even after the loss of her first IVF
fetuses, she kept up the battle.
The second try worked! And, though
Kellan was a preemie, he came through with flying colors. A C-section baby...he
had surgery on his lungs and was in the NICU for 3 weeks, but he was the
strongest child there and came home perfectly well and happy.
While still on the table, directly
after the C-section, the doctors operated removing a benign tumor they had
though was cancer all during her pregnancy. One which she had refused to let
them take when her Kellan was 4 months in utero because it would jeopardize his
life. She said she would take her
chances that it wasn't cancer for the
sake of having her baby. Her courage got her Kellan home safely, and her own
good report.
She insisted they save her uterus in
the surgery, as well, so she could have more children, if possible.
Amazing girl, amazing
mother.
Now, Kellan is nearly 4 years old.
His intelligence has been tested at a 7-9 year old level. He's a kind and
thoughtful child who loves to read and play with his iPad daily. Read with his
mother, I mean. She reads him about 10 books per night! He insists...and this
doesn't mean baby picture books. He wants to hear chapter books, and has since
he was about 2 1/2. He's a brilliant child in every subject. And he's very
strong willed just like his mother! :]
Those plethora of vitamins and
supplements she took to insure a strong and brainy child must have worked their
own miracles!
Jessica believes in her heart that
Kellan will not be an only child. And though her body fights against her on
every avenue, she will not be beaten. And, of course, there are other ways to have a child.
She's a brave heart. She's the one
who will not take "no" for an answer.
I think she's gotten this from the
Scottish side of her heritage.
She's a mother of real strength and
compassion.
Jessica is also a
trained professional in the work of teaching developmentally delayed children,
and those with autism and asbergers. From the time she was 12 years old she's
volunteered and worked with disadvantaged and institutionalized children.
She has a heart for children, and I
believe she has been a mother to many.
Jessica Duncan Magill is the finest
of any mother I know.
I'm very proud to call her my only
daughter on this Mother's Day.
Deborah/TheBookishDame
