This is the third in a series. (Read The Baby Gianna Story Part I, The Baby Gianna Story Part II)
Jessica Chominski delivered this eulogy for Baby “Miracle Gianna:”
On January 9, the world changed forever because of a baby girl. I know that many of you do not know the whole story of Miracle Gianna. Many of you have been praying for her fervently- praying for her to heal, praying for her to be OK, praying for her to live.
We have all had a piece of this story, which on the outside, looks like a tragic, sad, devastating defeat. But this is not a story of defeat. This is a story of triumph- the triumph of Baptism.
When she was born, the doctors handed her to me to hold, and I have never felt more humbled and fearful in my life. I was not afraid because her precious, beautiful body was so fragile and delicate, but because I knew that I was standing in the presence of a little girl, who would soon be in Heaven with Our Lord. I didn’t know how long we would get to be with her, but I knew that she was going from my arms, and the arms of her loving, brave mother, to the arms of Our Lady, who would take her home to Her Son. I knew that in a few hours, or a few moments, while we sat weeping, the angels would be singing her lullabies as she rested in the comfort of her Creator. This was because of an act of heroic motherhood.
Rebecca spent the last 4 months hoping and praying that her baby girl would live. Up until the moment we went into the delivery room, she did not abandon this hope, despite the definitive prognosis. As she realized that God had greater plans for her baby, in a moment of what appeared to be defeat, she did not buckle. She insisted that Miracle be given eternity- she insisted that she was Baptized.
It was in this moment that we witnessed the triumph of the Resurrection. Just as Our Lady held the broken body of her Son, her Savior as he was taken from the cross, trusting that He would rise in 3 days as He had promised, so too did Rebecca hold her baby, trusting in the promise of Our Lord to His Church. She lives in eternity now because her mother did what parents are supposed to do- she got her child to Heaven.
It was no coincidence that this long, difficult story came to its conclusion on the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. As I drove home from the hospital, that night, well, that morning, I was listening to music on my IPOD trying to be a good driver as I was holding back sobs. On came How Great Thou Art, one of my favorite songs, but one that almost seemed ironically inappropriate at a time like this. But as I listened to the words “When I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made” I realized that the same Creator that fashioned the Heavens, the Earth, the vastness of the universe, also fashioned this little girl’s tiny hands, feet, adorable button nose, and perfectly coiffed hair. He had breathed His life into her, then she rose to new life with Him, and it was for this reason that her life was worth so much- so that we could look at her and exclaim, “My God, how great Thou art!”
Miracle Gianna, pray for us.
Next Up: The Future of Catholic Hospitals.
Note: This is the third part in a week-long series telling this incredible and gut-wrenching true story about life, death, abortion, and betrayal. We ask all of our readers and blogging friends to help us in any way they can to share this story. Please stay with us this entire week.
