Episode 0: Our story's not over! / Pray for Hannah with Chris Mycoskie

Where You're Going Podcast - hosted by John Liddle

We didn't plan to start the Where You're Going Podcast with this episode - but sometimes God has other plans. The Mycoskie family needs us to pray for them, and "Pray for Hannah." here's their story... "Our story's not over!" Cassie Mycoskie sobbed to her husband Chris as she was wheeled back into the hospital room in May of 2020. They had just lost their daughter, Grace, who was stillborn. It was the third time the Mycoskies, who live in Collin County, had lost a child. Their daughters Angel and Hope were lost to miscarriages. Their son, Austin, is seven years old, and longs to be a big brother. So a few years ago the Mycoskies decided to move into the adoption process. It's been long and hard. Filled with heartbreaking times where their hopes had been dashed at the last moment. Finally, on May 12, they got their match. The Mycoskies raced to Houston to meet their new baby girl, Hannah, who was three weeks old when she was put up for adoption. Chris says things were overwhelmingly joyful for the first 48 hours. Then medical forms started to trickle in. Hydranencephaly. Rare. Terminal. Hospice. Unimaginable pain. Hydranencephaly occurs when the brain does not get fully developed and fluid-filled sacs replace the brain tissue. As the child grows, the head swells with fluid. There is no cure. Life expectancy is typically less than a year. Because the birth mother didn't disclose the condition, the Mycoskies had the option to reverse the adoption process and "surrender" Hannah. The adoption agency told the Mycoskies about that option. Absolutely not. "I screamed at her. I had to go back and apologize later," Chris said. "But I was at the top of my lungs saying 'This is our daughter!' I was yelling, I was crying. There is no point in which we are going to 'surrender' her." The Mycoskies have never been about surrendering, unless you count surrendering their pain to a higher power. The simple message: "Pray for Hannah." They're not asking for money. There is no Go Fund Me. Just simple requests for prayer. "The moment that she came into our arms, she became part of our family," Chris says. "We're going to do everything possible to help her, to get her the best medical treatment possible, to make sure that she has the best life that she can. Even if it's a short one. And to love on her with every fiber of our being as long as we can." TIMESTAMPS:

Overcoming Tragedy: "Our story is not over."— Chris Mycoskie 00:01:0900:05:12

Adoption Journey: "Adoption is something that Cassie and I have talked about since we were dating. My mom was adopted, so I always had that picture in my head as like some part of my family, we're going to adopt a child or children."— Chris Mycoskie 00:05:5000:07:11

The Challenges of Adoption: "You never know what it may be... all those times we weren't ultimately selected."— Chris Mycoskie 00:08:0900:10:09

Adoption Journey: "I'm going to give you about five minutes and I'm hitting the road, going to go pick up my wife and son and we're going to get to Houston in time for tomorrow morning."— Chris Mycoskie 00:10:5100:12:48

Emotional Announcement: "My wife and I have been pursuing adoption for nearly a year. Just got word that we have been matched."— Chris Mycoskie 00:13:0500:14:12

Praying for Adoption: "We had been praying for this baby for two years. And every night, pretty much when we put Austin to bed, our prayers included. Be with our son or daughter wherever they may be, be with their parents, help them to make good decisions, healthy decisions for the baby, and allow us to come together as a family soon."— Chris Mycoskie 00:15:4700:17:26

"Unraveled at that Point": "Our world just unraveled at that point."— Chris Mycoskie 00:19:3000:23:37

Adopting Against the Odds: "Hannah is our daughter. There is no question in my mind, and it has been verified to me, I don't know how many countless times, both in my prayers and from medical professionals vocalizing it, that she is meant to be in our family."— Chris Mycoskie 00:26:1600:29:15

Explaining a Rare Condition to a Child: "We broke it down into simple words and tried to explain what happened. And that we may not have Hannah with us for an extremely long period of time, but we fully believe that God has placed her in our family for a reason. And we're going to love her and show her God's love through all of this."— Chris Mycoskie 00:29:5400:36:02

Medicaid and Financial Stress: "We're also looking at the potential financial ramifications for our family, trying to get all of this figured out... Pray for us to figure that out because we're going to give Hannah every single thing that she needs and also want to make sure that we're still in a financial position to provide for everything that Austin needs. I want to make sure that this doesn't decimate our family financially. I hope I'm not coming back to you down the line saying that we need to go fund me and ask where you're going, listeners, to help us with that. I really hope that the Medicaid and other assistance ends up coming into place."— Chris Mycoskie 00:36:4600:39:25

PODCAST TOPICS: -Dealing with the stresses of having a newborn and a medical diagnosis -Concerns about the potential financial impact and hopes for assistance -Gratitude for the support and assistance from the medical team at Children's Medical Center in Dallas -Request for prayers for the medical team -Sharing the Mycoskies journey to starting a family, including previous miscarriages -The terrifying incident of Cassie (Chris' wife) losing blood and the stillbirth of their daughter Grace -The Mycoskies' commitment to providing the best for their child with a potentially life-threatening condition -Belief that the child was meant to be in their family -Overview of the adoption process and the speed at which the adoption placement happened in this case -The Mycoskies' lifelong consideration of adoption -Challenges in conceiving and decision to wait for their hearts to heal before pursuing adoption -Two-year adoption journey with the help of a consultant and a multi-agency approach -Explanation of Hannah's condition to their son and his emotional response -The family's hope for a miracle and prayers for Hannah -The belief that God is listening and working through this situation