The Strength of a Mother

Caleb was born July 6th, 2011.  We were so excited that he had finally arrived two weeks late.  Loved ones waited with anticipation in the waiting room at the hospital.  An hour after we received word that he was born my brother (now a proud papa) wheeled out his beautiful son.  We were all concerned about Shannon and we wanted to see her too but she was having some difficulties and she couldn't see us.  The first image is Caleb an hour after he was born and the hand of his father.  We learned that Shannon had to go into surgery to remove the attached placenta.  A couple more hours later and our joy turned to fear and helplessness.  Shannon had lost 85% of her blood and her hemoglobin was at 2.2!  She was transferred to St. Paul while her newborn stayed in Stillwater.  The natural arrangement of a mother and her precious first night with her newborn was torn apart by tragedy!  I went with my brother and Shannon to the SICU at Regions and spent the scariest night of my life there.  Words cannot describe the pain, fear and disbelief I felt that night.  After an exhausting 15 hour labor and the loss of so much blood, Shannon slipped into uncontioustess.  My intelligent brother was well educated about what the doctors could do for her and fought for his wife as much as possible. I am so proud of my little brother and his calm faithful disposition through it all.  After the night that so many people were telling us she was going to be lost... she fought, and her strength prevailed!  We do not know how low her hemoglobin actually was, but after two weeks in the hospital Shannon was released.  Finally, Shannon went home with Caleb.  We photographed this little family and handsome Caleb this past weekend at our hotel in Rochester, Minnesota.  It is a miracle to see her as a mother!  Shannon has always been a meek person, but she is the strongest mother I know!  ~Bethany