Kang Ho Mo and Gladys Kwek—Singapore

GOD SAVES BABY ISAAC

Hallelujah, in the name of the Lord Jesus, I testify. In January 2018, my husband and I discovered that I was pregnant with our first child. Routine blood tests during my first trimester showed that my husband and I were both alpha thalassemia carriers. Thalassemia is a mutation of the genes responsible for producing hemoglobin, the protein contained in red blood cells that transports oxygen and carbon dioxide around our bodies. As silent carriers, we had no signs or symptoms of anemia ourselves, nor did we require any medical treatment. Still, there was a possibility we might pass the mutated genes to our baby.

The doctors and health advisors told us that the risk of death during childbirth for mothers carrying alpha thalassemia was low. However, the risk of our child having the condition was as high as twenty-five percent, and if the child inherited the condition, it was likely they would die before or shortly after birth.

The doctors also recommended that we undergo a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) test, a prenatal test used to diagnose genetic or chromosomal abnormalities. The test detects thalassemia in an unborn child and thus informs at-risk couples if their child is a carrier, and the extent to which they are affected by thalassemia.

We were advised that if our child were to inherit thalassemia major—a severe form of the condition—it would be best to terminate the pregnancy. However, as believers of God, we knew we could not follow that recommendation.

We told three resident ministers about the situation we were facing, then prayed together with them, leaving the matter in God's hands. Although we felt sad and helpless at first, we quickly felt supported by both our family and the church. Throughout the entire pregnancy, we also experienced God's grace and love.

In the last month of my pregnancy, all signs indicated that the fetus was stable and able to produce and circulate blood normally. Thank God, this meant the likelihood of our unborn child inheriting thalassemia major was significantly reduced. Following the obstetrician's advice, we planned to induce labor on Friday, September 28, 2018.

Early in the morning of Thursday, September 27, I experienced abdominal pain and spotting. We rushed to the hospital and, after examination, the nurse told us that I was in the early stages of labor but suggested we return home to wait. However, since we were only one day away from the planned induction, we requested to stay in the hospital for observation.

After eighteen hours of observation in the ward, one of the nurses discovered that the fetus was showing abnormal vital signs. They alerted the doctors, who recommended an emergency cesarean section. During the procedure, they found my placenta had ruptured, causing internal bleeding and cutting off oxygen and nutrients to the baby for at least thirty minutes. If we had not stayed in the hospital for observation, the nurse would not have detected the fetus's abnormal vital signs, and I might not have received the necessary medical care. This would have been dangerous and potentially deadly for both the fetus and me.

After the doctors delivered baby Isaac, they immediately performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him. He was then sent to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where he was placed naked on a cooling blanket to lower his body temperature and potentially reduce brain trauma caused by hypoxia—when the brain is deprived of sufficient oxygen. Isaac's hands and feet were connected to intravenous drips, used for blood tests and fluid administration. It is heartbreaking to see any child in such a condition.

At that time, I was still under sedation from the cesarean section, unaware of the severity of baby Isaac's condition. My husband, family, and even the doctors were worried about how I would react after I learned of my child's situation.

However, when I woke up and the doctors updated me about Isaac, I felt an unusual sense of calm. I could feel a peace that I had never experienced before in my life. It was as if God was comforting and reassuring me, showing that after we had gone through these trials, our child would be saved. We named him Isaac because, just as God gave Abraham and Sarah a promised son, Isaac, God also gave us a son.

Sure enough, our newly expanded family of three was able to return home healthy from the hospital one week later. Fittingly, a deacon shared this verse to comfort us when he visited us in the hospital: "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Cor 10:13b).

ISAAC SEES JESUS

Fast forward to 2020, when everyone was struggling with the restrictions and lockdowns imposed during the COVID pandemic, especially working parents with young children. Like many others, we often felt tired and lonely when trying to balance our time between our child, finances, work, chores, and everyday life.

On November 10, 2020, a Tuesday evening after I had brought Isaac home from school, something happened that has stayed with me ever since. He was two years old, and I was helping him change his clothes on the bed when suddenly he pointed across the room, waved, and said, "Bye bye, Jesus."

I was shocked, but I do not believe a young child would lie about what they have seen or experienced. This encounter gave me a profound sense of love and care from God, which comforted me during those weary times and reminded me that God has always been present for us and our child.

GOD GIVES US BABY SERAPHIM

Given that we were thalassemia carriers, we had reservations about having a second child. Though we both love children, I felt we had limited resources to take care of two children, and I was concerned about potential health complications.

However, during the pandemic, we realized how lonely Isaac must have felt as an only child. We also believed that if he had a younger sibling, they could help and support each other in their journey of faith. Therefore, we prayed to God and asked Him to give Isaac a brother or sister.

However, we were too busy with work and parenting to focus on family planning. Hence, I doubted our decision in my heart and asked God how we could have a second baby when we were so busy with our lives.
That is when I heard a voice in my heart, and I knew it was the Holy Spirit speaking to me: "What God wants to give you, He will surely give you."

Sure enough, shortly afterwards, we found out I was pregnant with baby Seraphim. And because of the voice of the Holy Spirit, I knew that baby Seraphim would be with us after ten months of pregnancy, and that she would not be affected by thalassemia.

CONCLUSION

These experiences reminded us to have faith in God's will and trust that our Lord Jesus Christ will be there for us, meeting all our needs. There are many things outside of our control, and throughout our parenting journey, we have often felt inadequate and lacking. Even so, we have consistently felt God leading us in raising our children, and we have also witnessed His grace, love, and miracles working in their lives. This has reassured and edified us, strengthening our spiritual growth and faith in God.

I decided to share this testimony because, one night in February 2025, I prayed to the Lord Jesus about my family. As I was finishing my prayer, the Holy Spirit moved me, and an inner voice urged me to write down my pregnancy and childbirth experience for God. The Spirit instructed me to "Write it down," and moved my hands as though I was holding a pen and writing in the air. I understood that the primary purpose of this testimony would be to encourage believers regarding having children, which in turn would help the church to prosper. Finally, the Holy Spirit guided me to reach out to a particular sister, who arranged for me to share my testimony of God's grace during a forthcoming spiritual convocation.

Out of curiosity, my husband asked about the church's understanding of this topic and was told that Singapore's falling fertility and birth rates are indeed also affecting the church. As such, I hope that this testimony encourages our church brethren, especially newlyweds, when it comes to pregnancy and family planning. As Psalm 127:3–5 tells us:

         Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one's youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

May all the glory be given to our Lord Jesus. Hallelujah! Amen.