Special Needs: My Story For God's Glory

By Lizzie Keene

Have you ever asked yourself these questions? When I'm overwhelmed with life problems of challenging circumstances, do I really go to the Bible for the answers? When I have a need for healing or a financial blessing, do I seek the scripture and decree it over my needs? God wants me to remind His people of His word. Most people tend to forget what the word of God says and the need to apply His word to your everyday life. No matter what you are going through and whatever need you may have, God and His word can and will get you through it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 12, 2019
• ISBN: 9781643494579

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Special Needs

My Story For God's Glory

Lizzie Keene

Copyright © 2018 by Lizzie Keene

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Dedication

Iwould like to dedicate this book in loving memory of my dad, William Henry Keene Jr. I want to thank you for introducing me to Jesus Christ at a very young age and helping guide me into the woman I have become. I love you, Daddy!

Introduction

Lizzie Keene is a mother of a child with a learning disability (special needs). Having a special needs child can be very challenging at times, just as the trials and tribulations of life can be challenging. During the hard times that we experience in life (wilderness), God will supply your every need. When we follow the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth (BIBLE) that God has given us for guidance and wisdom to get through the journey of the wilderness called life.

My daughter was the inspiration behind this book. I’ve watched my daughter struggle throughout the years with her learning disability, wanting to learn and how frustrated she would get when she didn’t learn it right away. That made me think about all of my struggles and everything that I’ve been through, with my daughter right by my side; even with her not knowing what was going on or why we were going through it, she knew that we would be okay. Most people may not understand why they go through such a hard long wilderness of not so easy circumstances, only to know and trust that God is able, and He will bring you out much better than you were before. Also, how important it is to understand your lessons that God is teaching you while you are in your wilderness. At times, it may feel like we’re going through our wilderness for a long time, and we don’t want to be patient and wait on the Lord. We tend to get frustrated waiting for a breakthrough in our timing, not realizing that it’s not about our timing, but God’s timing. Which made me ask this question: after you pray about it, are you truly going to the Bible for the answers? No matter what you go through, the answer is in the Bible, and there is a scripture that will answer all of life’s problems. God has allowed me to tell my story for His glory, from the time I tried to commit suicide to being born again, having a job and an apartment to losing everything and becoming homeless. I had to be knocked down just so I can get back up much stronger and wiser than I was before. Because of that, I stand strong in my faith, and with the knowledge that I’ve gained with the word of God, I know how the enemy (devil) can attack in any shape or form. But no matter what evil may come my way, nothing can destroy a child of God!

Acknowledgments

Ihave to first give all honor and glory to God. There are no words to express my love for Jesus Christ. God is my everything! I can’t thank Him enough for all that He has done for me. Thank you, Lord, thank you for Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who died for me so that I can have eternal life, and thank you for the presence of Your Holy Spirit. I also want to thank my sister, Lisa Washington-Keene, who is my biggest supporter. Thank you, Lisa, for always encouraging me to pursue my writing, I love you. I want to thank my aunt, Kimberly Keene (my Kimmy), who is the best mentor during the process of writing this book and her continued words of encouragement are invaluable, thank you, my Kimmy, love you. Last but not least, I want to thank my mother, La-Wedia Jenkins, who always stands behind any decision I make, whether she agrees with it or not. And if I fall, she is always there to pick me up in her arms by embracing me with her love. Thank you, Mommy, I love you!

Chapter 1

The Birth

On April 26, 2000, was the day that I felt my life had officially started. There is no other way to explain what I felt on that day, when a 9-lb 13-oz and 19-inches long, beautiful baby girl came into my life. This is where my journey began. It was a Tuesday morning on April 25, 2000, when I went into labor. At that time, I was living with my parents. I was too happy that my mother took her vacation around my due date and was able to be at home with me. As my mother was driving me to the hospital, I had contractions all the way there. My mother was holding my hand, trying to keep me calm and from screaming, because of the pain. I remember turning my head to the window, looking up toward the sky, and saying, Lord, I don’t know if I’m ready for this, which of course was a tad bit too late.

I was scared, nervous, and anxious all at the same time. I’m sure most women have felt the same way. When you’re pregnant, you can’t wait for the baby to arrive, so you can see his/her little face. Psalm 127:3 (NKJV) says, Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. But when the labor pains hit, it is a feeling that no words can describe. When I arrived at the hospital and was examined by the doctor, I was told that I was only two centimeters dilated. At that point, I knew I was going back home until the doctor that examined me said, We normally do not admit patients unless they are further dilated, but we must admit you because your blood pressure is extremely high, and you have PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension).

Well, there goes me being nervous and scared to flat-out terrified.

After being in labor for several hours, the doctor came into the room to tell me that my blood pressure was at stroke level, and I was being diagnosed with preeclampsia/eclampsia and that they will have to induce my labor. They needed to get my baby out before I have a stroke, seizure, or death. I started crying out, I don’t want me or my baby to die in this hospital!

I cried out to God, praying that He will help us, that we will survive this labor and delivery, and that we will leave this hospital healthy. Psalm 30:2 (NKJV) says, O Lord my God, I cried out to You, And You healed me. I heard the doctor tell my mother, that he will be back in fifteen minutes, and if I have not dilated anymore, that I will have to have a Caesarean. Before I knew it, my wonderful sister, who had just given birth three months ago to her third child, told me, You and this baby are coming home. Every time you have a contraction, push just a little bit.

Of course, I did what she said, and by the time the doctor came back into the delivery room to check to see if I dilated some more, the top of my baby’s head was crowning. I’ve never seen doctors or nurses run so fast in my life, trying to prep and get me ready to deliver my baby. I thought I could breathe easy, knowing that my baby was about to be born, but we were not out of trouble yet. When the baby’s head came out, the doctor noticed that my baby had a bowel movement and was covered in her feces; they had to make sure that she did not swallow any, and it did not get into her lungs. As soon as she came out, they cleaned her up and let me look at her for like two seconds before they rushed her to ICU to give her an IV in order to flush out her system. And just to be safe, they also wanted to make sure her lungs were okay. The last thing I remembered them doing was taking my baby away and watching my mom walking right behind them, saying, Wherever my grandbaby is going, so am I.

My sister stayed with me, holding my hand, while I was crying, because I could not hold my baby, not for one minute; even though I understood how important it was and why she needed to be examined, I just wanted to hold her, nothing means more to a mother than being able to bond with and hold her child for the first time. Being in the delivery room was the last thing I remembered; it wasn’t until two days later when I finally opened my eyes. I looked around and noticed that I was moved into a private room, I did not even remember leaving the labor and delivery room. My mother was sitting right there holding my baby; she looked at me and said she was glad to see me open my eyes, I had been asleep for two days. As I tried to sit up, my arms felt so sore, and as I looked down, I had two IVs in one arm and one in the other, which had six different medications in them, a monitor on one of my middle fingers, and a blood pressure cuff that was starting to inflate, which was set to take my blood pressure every hour. My mother told me not to get out of bed because I also had a urine catheter. The first thing I said was Why? Why am I connected to all of this?

At that moment, the nurse walked in and said, You’re awake, we almost lost you.

The nurse told me that my blood pressure was past the danger zone, in addition to that, I lost a lot of blood, which made my iron level extremely low, and I became dehydrated. So I have to have the IVs to flush out toxins and to get fluids back into my body, and they needed to get my blood pressure down and bring my iron level up. She said one more day and we can take them out. I have to be connected to the IVs for at least seventy-two hours.

Despite everything the nurse told me, my only concern was that my baby was two days old, and I have not been able to hold her. My mother and the nurse tried to help me hold her, but with the IVs and blood pressure cuff, it was too painful and difficult to hold her. The nurse said, I’m sorry but you will have to wait until we take the IVs out, I’ll be back to take your temperature, and then she left the room. I said to my mother, I cannot do this, I want to hold my baby, so I did something very dangerous, I’m sure you guessed it by now, I took the IVs out of my arm. The machines started buzzing, I didn’t care, and I told my mother to give me my baby. As she laid my baby in my arms, the nurse ran in and said, What happened?

I said, You can hook me back up in a few minutes, but I needed to hold my baby.

Of course, the nurse got on my case and said, You cannot do that.

I could have really hurt myself. I told her, I understand that, but the longer you stand here fussing at me, and I am aware that it was wrong, it is taking time away from me bonding with my baby, which means it will take even longer for you to have the chance to hook me back up, let me hold my baby for five minutes, please!

She stood there and let me hold my baby, even though I knew it was less than five minutes, when she said, Okay, I have to reconnect your IVs now, but it was the best few minutes I ever had in my life. After the nurse put my IVs back in, the next twenty-four hours were the hardest. Because I had to watch my mother and sister hold her, feed her, and change her diaper, while all I could do was lay there and watch them do what I had been waiting nine months to do. When I finally got a chance to hold my daughter for about an hour, the pediatrician came in and said that some test they took of my baby, when they examined her, showed that she has jaundice, which is an abnormally yellow diseased condition. So again, they had to take my baby away from me to run more