I was born with multiple congenital heart defects. I had atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

Big jargon. Simply put, I had 3 holes in my heart at birth (which I like to call the “hole-y trinity”).

Having any of the above three conditions individually is not exactly uncommon. 3 in 1000 (0.3%) live births are affected by either VSD or ASD. PDA is slightly rarer, with 1 in 2000 (0.05%) full-term babies affected by this condition. 

Unfortunately for me, all three conditions occurred simultaneously. I did some quick calculations, and the probability of my medical condition? 0.0045%. 

These three holes affected critical functions in my heart. Oxygenated blood was flowing to all the wrong places, which strained my heart. The holes also caused the left side of my heart to be enlarged to 2.2x of its normal size. 

In the long-term, if left untreated, my complex congenital heart defects could lead to shortness of breath and heart failure. 

She’s a medical anomaly

The doctors termed me as a medical anomaly. 

The Internet doesn’t have sufficient statistics to show how many newborns have simultaneous occurrences of these three congenital heart defects. There’s too little people like me and my condition is just too rare.

I even asked ChatGPT about my conditions, which affirmed me that I am an “anomaly” and that I should seek early intervention. 

My parents were shocked when they heard the diagnoses for their newborn child.

Immediately, they rallied all their family and friends to pray for me. Their cell groups, friends and family members all knew about my condition and actively declared blessings and healing over me. 

During that time, a special psalm that my family held on to was Psalms 23. Psalms 23:1 reads, “The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.”

While at that time, I may not have had a complete heart, my family lacked nothing. God provided for us by sending good doctors and people to look out for my family.

She’s a medical miracle

By God’s grace, the first hole closed within seven days of birth! I learned that it typically takes 2-3 weeks for this hole to close naturally, but somehow, in my case, it closed within a week. 

As both septal defects were still present at this time, I was put under strict observation and regularly sent back to the hospital for routine checks. 

Then, strangely enough, when I was four months old, the doctor did not detect the ASD! For a moderately sized hole in my atrial walls, four months was a record time for natural recovery.

The doctors also detected a flap of tissue where the hole should have been, which helped to patch up the hole without surgical intervention. It could only have been God. 

Throughout infancy, I also did not display blue baby syndrome at all, which is common amongst children diagnosed with any of the three conditions that I had.

Suddenly, the doctors were calling me a medical miracle instead of a medical anomaly!

Grace-filled gaps

While waiting for the last hole to close, I had to be extremely careful with my overall health, especially dental health. Any pathogens could easily enter the bloodstream via my mouth, which would then put me at risk of serious endocarditis (heart inflammation). 

For young children, cavities and poor hygiene (such as eating food off the table and bringing bacteria into your mouth) are extremely common issues. These would be life-threatening for me, and would probably warrant an immediate trip to the hospital.

That’s why it was another miracle that my oral health was perfect and nothing harmful entered my bloodstream.

I really thank God for the good doctors who treated me and helped to manage my condition. While painful, I’m grateful that I had access to much more vaccinations than the average child, which helped to lower my risk of contracting any illnesses which could compromise my condition. 

Eventually, the last hole closed when I was in Secondary 1, and I was finally discharged from the hospital. 

God is our Jehovah Rapha, our healer. Nothing is impossible with our God – I am living proof and a walking miracle!

I’ll let you in on one more miracle: I found it amazing that strangers couldn’t tell that I had such a condition while I was growing up.

While I did take necessary precautions, such as not taking part in strenuous physical activity, I did not display any external symptoms of having a hole in my heart.

Today, I can proudly tell you that Jesus has healed me. I can do physical activity like a normal person and I even enjoy it! 

I am also keenly aware that I live on borrowed time, and this time has been granted to me by my Healer. I now strive to do my best and share about Jesus with the people around me, making my second chance at life worthwhile. 

Up till recently, I didn’t quite like to tell people about my healing story. Somehow, I found it awkward to talk about this condition that very few people experience.

However, I decided to share this story to encourage those who might be in similar situations and show the healing power of our God (Malachi 4:2). Of course, please do seek appropriate medical treatment as well!

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind. John 9:3 tells us that the man was blind not as a result of sin, but so that the works of God might be displayed in him. My medical condition is by no means a punishment or something to hide. Instead, it is a testimony. My story is my way of glorifying Jesus.

God is our Jehovah Rapha, our healer. Nothing is impossible with our God – I am living proof and a walking miracle!