Prayer reverses childbirth crisis

Gayle McManus with contributions from John Hueffner

We were expecting our second child. I was consulting an obstetrician who was familiar with the healing power of Christian Science. Each time a difficulty would arise in my pregnancy, this obstetrician would tell me, and I would let a Christian Science practitioner know about it. The doctor knew I was relying on the prayers of the practitioner, and said he was sure that that would take care of everything.

When the baby was two weeks past due, the doctor told me I should let the practitioner know that he felt the baby needed to come in the next two days. I notified the practitioner, and went into labor the next morning.

Everything seemed to be proceeding fine with the delivery until the doctor hooked me up to a fetal monitor. When I heard a steady, high-pitched tone, instead of a rhythmic heartbeat, I was alarmed and asked if everything was all right. The doctor told me there was something wrong with the machine and to ignore it (later I learned that he was just trying to keep me calm by saying this).

The doctor took the practitioner, who was present, out into the hall and told him that the baby was in great distress, and that it was urgent for the baby to come right away. He said he had just checked me and determined that I wasn't even close to being ready to deliver. In addition, the baby was in an awkward position. He asked the practitioner to pray immediately about this emergency. When the two of them returned to the labor room, the doctor examined me and found that the baby was already in position to be delivered.

Then the doctor and nurses ran with me to the delivery room.

The doctor said it was urgent for the baby to come right away.

Once we were there, the baby arrived quickly. But she appeared lifeless. I looked at the doctor with obvious panic on my face. Holding her, he told her, "It's time to wake up." Suddenly she let out a loud cry. The doctor held up the umbilical cord, which was tightly knotted and had been cutting off the baby's oxygen supply. Wiping tears from his face, the doctor said, "We owe a huge debt of gratitude to the practitioner and to his boss, God."

Our daughter, who has never suffered any ill effects from the difficulties surrounding her birth, is now in the eighth grade—a healthy, active honor student. She has brought lots of joy to our family.

Gayle McManus
Plano, Texas

The late Dr. Richard Sparr was an obstetrician in the Dallas, Texas, area. He gained familiarity with Christian Science when he attended a Christian Science Sunday School as a child, so he was later very understanding and sympathetic to his patients' reliance on its healing power. For many years he was the OB of choice to many expectant moms who were students of Christian Science. As a Christian Science practitioner, I worked with Dr. Sparr on many cases.

John Hueffner, C.S.B.
Dallas, Texas

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