This testimony is from our Healing Place Ministry. My son, Ryker Dean, was born at 26 weeks. He was in the NICU for 92 days and came home on 12/22/2020. He was 2 pounds 1.2 ounces at birth, and 13.78 inches. He was born early, not because he had any health issues, but I had developed severe preeclampsia, and the medications I was prescribed had stopped working. I felt so guilty that my body had failed him. I didn’t know what his journey would look like, but my mom and I prayed before I had him, and I remember feeling the Holy Spirit in the room, and God telling me not to worry about him. That he would be okay. I didn’t know what okay would look like, and I had many moments of fear and doubt in the 92 days that followed. During his NICU stay he was “diagnosed” with a loud heart murmur, PDA, and was followed very closely for stage 3 Retinopathy of Prematurity/Plus disease.

I was told he may need heart surgery to close his PDA. I was told he would 100% need laser eye surgery and/or eye injections to correct the ROP/Plus. They told me the surgery may work the first time, but he might need a couple surgeries.

He had an echocardiogram shortly after coming home, his PDA closed on its own. His heart murmur is gone. His cardiologist saw him once outpatient, and said Ryker’s heart is perfect, no need to come back!

The day he was discharged from the hospital he had to get an eye exam first. The doctors originally wanted to do eye surgery that day, which meant he would not be home for Christmas (I really wanted him home for the holidays!) We were waiting on a second opinion, and I told his nurse, “Ryker won’t need surgery. His eyes are healed. He will not need any sort of intervention. EVER.” and she kind of laughed and in short told me I was crazy. that “Maybe he doesn’t have surgery today, but his eyes won’t heal on their own. Prepare yourself for when he eventually needs it.” I told her God had the final say. She said she had never seen a baby with stage 3 not have surgery.

I took him to the healing service, and asked specifically for prayer over his eyes, and also for his health in general. The next appointment we got confirmation that his eyes were perfect, healed, and no need to go back to the Retinopathy of Prematurity specialists.

Needless to say, he went home that day, just in time for Christmas. No surgery. His last eye appointment a few weeks ago, I went in and said “we are expecting to hear the confirmation of healing.” and we got it. His doctor told us his eyes healed on their own! His eyes have NO ROP, NO plus disease (!!!) the blood vessels formed and healed beautifully!

Ryker is now 9.5months (6.5months corrected.) He has never had any kind of surgery. He came home on 1/8th of a liter of oxygen. Ryker is still on oxygen at night, but only a 1/16th of a liter now, he had a test this last weekend (7.10.21) to try and come off the oxygen completely, and we should get the results today (7.13.21)!  He is now 15 pounds, 26 inches. He is sitting up on his own. He is eating solids. He is healthy, and growing exactly as he should. He is my little miracle, and he is the reason I found God again, and am more faithful than ever. His story is just getting started, and I know God has huge plans for him.