(All names are pseudonyms)
I began my relationship with Kimaya’s family nearly ten years before she was born. Her mother, Wendy, and I became friends through a mutual connection, and we quickly discovered how much we had in common. Over the years, we supported one another through many life transitions. I was there as Wendy and Verrier found one another, became friends, fell in love, and eventually married.
They welcomed two daughters early in their marriage and were well established as a family when Kimaya made her unexpected entrance into the story.
When Everything Changed
At around six months’ gestation, Wendy went in for what she expected to be a routine prenatal visit. Instead, she was asked to call Verrier and speak with the medical team together before being told what was wrong. Verrier worked nearby and was able to come quickly.
The news was devastating. Their baby’s brain was developing outside the skull. The medical team explained that the brain—soft and vulnerable—could easily be damaged by sudden movement. The trip through the birth canal alone could be fatal. They were urged to seriously consider abortion.
Choosing Life and Waiting
Wendy and Verrier asked for a few moments alone. They cried. They grieved. Then they called the doctor back in and asked a different question: would he support the pregnancy if they chose to continue, allowing their child to live or die of natural causes, while they hoped and prayed for a miracle—trusting God with whatever the outcome might be?
Their faith did not remove their fear, but it gave them a place to bring it.
In private conversation, with trust established, the doctor was far more supportive. Wendy was placed on bed rest to protect the baby as much as possible. Friends, church members, and family—including myself—surrounded them with meals, prayer, and practical help.
Six long weeks later, another ultrasound revealed something astonishing. At some point—what the family believes was in response to prayer—Kimaya’s skull had opened and drawn her brain back inside.
The Miracle—and the Reality That Followed
When Kimaya was born, an anxious medical team welcomed her into the world alive. The only visible concern was that her middle and ring fingers were fused on both hands. Doctors suggested surgery later in childhood, but otherwise she appeared healthy.
Kimaya went home to two adoring parents and two older sisters who delighted in caring for her. She was deeply loved.
As she grew, however, it became clear that her development was different. Early Intervention evaluations raised concerns the family initially struggled to accept. Over time, Kimaya was diagnosed with cognitive disabilities and autism.
A Life Marked by Joy, Not Perfection
Kimaya learned to walk—first with a walker, and eventually on her own. And from the very beginning, she learned something else just as important: how to wave. Not a shy wave, but a joyful parade wave, as if greeting adoring fans.
She finished high school and a post–high school program and moved into adult life as a disabled woman. Wendy passed away far too young, leaving Kimaya in the care of her devoted father as her sisters built families of their own.
Loved she still is.
Happy—truly happy—I have rarely seen anyone happier.
God is good, even when the story unfolds differently than we hoped.
Gentle Closing Invitation (Option B – Integrated)
Many families I work with arrive carrying stories like Kimaya’s—full of love, faith, grief, and hope all at once. If you are seeking thoughtful guidance as you homeschool or advocate for a child with unique needs, I offer consultations grounded in experience, compassion, and respect for each family’s values.
If I want to tweak the photo –
1) We will want this illustrative, documentary-style image to be a horizontally oriented image. 2) We want an elementary aged girl on a sidewalk near some building. Foliage is good nearby… 3) We want her to be waving one hand with fingers close together. 4) She should appear to be engaged with someone nearby, not posing for the viewer. 5) She is using a walker. She is dressed more than less formally.
Kimaya the Miracle Princess
(all are pseudonyms here)
I began my relationship with Kimaya’s family probably ten years before she was born. I became friends with her mother through a mutual friendship and we hit it off. We found many things in common and we began to support one another through many life transitions, particularly – we were there when her mom, Wendy and her dad, Verrier found one another, became friends, moved the relationship to more than friends and married. They had a daughter right away and another daughter a year or two later. They were well established as a family when Kimaya made her appearance. About six months gestation Wendy went in for a well baby check and was told to call Verrier to talk to the medical team as a couple before they would tell Wendy what was going on that was different from prior totally healthy pregnancies. Verrier worked nearby and was able to get away from the job quickly… and the team told them that their beautiful baby had a serious problem and they should seriously consider an abortion. Kimaya had her brain growing and developing, but outside the skull cavity. If Wendy moved suddenly and the brain, which is as soft as butter at room temperature, hit the body, it could cause brain damage. The trip through the birth canal and into the world would likely kill her.
A decision had to be made by the couple. They took a minute alone to cry and grieve, but they called the doctor back into the room pretty quickly and asked him to consider supporting the pregnancy if they chose to move forward and let the child die of natural causes if it were to happen, and let them hope and pray for a miracle… I think when they had their trusted doctor alone, he was much more supportive of their idea, not to take the killing of their beloved child into their own hands, but to let nature take its course and hope for a living child.
Wendy went home. They put her on bedrest as a way to protect the developing brian, and people like myself in our friendship circle and church began to bring meals to the family and support in other practical ways. A seemingly long six weeks later, Kimaya had a new ultrasound test and the family learned that at some point, in response to prayer, Kimaya’s head opened and drew the brain back inside!
The due date arrived. An anxious team brought the sweet baby into the world alive! The only thing that seemed less than perfect about their newborn was that the “ring-finger and the middle-finger were fused on both hands. The team said that when she was around school age, it would be appropriate to do a surgery to separate the fingers, but that she appeared to be fully healthy in every other way.
To say that Kimaya was loved by the family is an understatement. She went home to two adoring parents and two older sisters happy to have such a lovable ‘living doll’ to play with or baby sister to care for and love on. All seemed great. During the preschool years, Early Intervention did an evaluation and said that Kimaya had developmental disabilities. The family did not believe them and did not want to, but eventually did choose to have services. As she progressed and her age and body grew it became more and more obvious that Kimaya was going to have developmental differences. Later, it was learned that cognitive disabilities were combined with autism. So Kimaya was a bit different, but she knew (still knows) deeply into her soul that the world around her loves her. From the time she learned to walk, initially with a walker, but eventually independently, she also learned to do a parade wave “to her adoring fans”!
She finished high school and the post high school program and moved into life as a disabled adult. Her mother actually died young, leaving Kimaya with her father as the sisters grew up and left the home to form homes of their own. Loved she still is. Happy – I have not seen many people any happier. God is good.