Nine days ago I thought I would lose my son. I watched as he lay stretched out pale and naked on a hospital bed with a team of at least six doctors working fervently to save his little life. My husband Mike stood next to me. We held each other and cried, our world quickly shattered. But in the last several days we have been so fortunate to not only feel God’s hand on us, but we have been overwhelmed by the outstretched arms of friends and family trying with all their might to ease some of our pain and to help us along this new journey. They have brought us more food than we could eat in a year. They have taken shifts staying up all night watching the EEG monitor for seizures. They have held us as we cried, teetering on the brink of anger, grief, and utter helplessness. They have watched as my five-month-old son sleeps in his silver hospital crib, tubes coming out of his mouth, his hands, his feet, and wires connected from his head to the EEG machine – and they have shared their tears with my husband and with me. For all this I am thankful. More importantly, I am thankful that, unlike many other babies who have been shaken, my baby is still alive and continues to improve.
It is for all the above reasons, and so many more, that I feel this blog needs to begin with a resounding THANK YOU! Thank you to Eric and Claire Dickson and their wonderful friend for making this website possible. If you have learned of our story through family or friends or through Facebook and you have been spreading his story and asking for prayers, thank you. If you are visiting Noah’s Road after being told of Noah’s story, thank you, and please send it along so that others can learn about our amazing little boy. And if you would please visit the links on this site to learn about Shaken Baby Syndrome and begin to tell others you know what you have learned – babysitters, caregivers, other moms – then thank you, and thank you again.
Mike and I invite you to join us on this journey of hardship, hope, and recovery. We hope you will find inspiration in our son’s strength as we walk together along Noah’s road.
Dear Mike and Erin,
My name is Vanessa and i live in Holland. I totally understand what you are going through, because the same has happened to my daughter 3 years ago.
The grief and pain is beyond comprehension. Hope and faith is what gets you going!And especially holding your little miracle!
I am so sorry and saddened to hear yet another family was hit by this tragedy.It amazes me how much this happens and how less i understand why it happens by every story that i hear.
I am praying for you and your precious little boy!I am sure with your love and care he will pull through!
”Everything will be ok in the end
If it’s not ok, its not the end”
So sorry and you are in my prayers and thoughts!
Love and hugs,
Vanessa and Ainhoa(3,5 years)
I learned about your story from a mom of one of my patients, she sent the link on facebook, as I will also do tp pass it on! My name is Brianne Blank and I am a pedatric nurse at Duke. I am very sorry to hear about your story, Noah is a very beautiful baby and I am inspired to read your blog and see your unfailing strength and love! I cant even begin to understand what you are going through but you are on the right track of hope and prayers! I will keep Noah and ya’ll in my thoughts and send warm wishes and pass along his story so that people can learn from this tragedy!!
Mike and Erin,
This is such a tragic story, it breaks my heart. Noah is such a beautiful baby!!! Your strength and faith have carried you through this most difficult time, and God is with all of you, everyday, every hour, every minute. Please know that Noah and both of you are in my thoughts and prayers. God Bless all of you!
The Holy Spirit lead me to hit this picture on facebook:after reading your story my heart was so saddened by this yet I began to pray for Baby Noah and your family.I Praise God for the opportunity to join in with the prayer warriors.I also am standing on Psalms 91 reminding God of His words and His promises.We serve a mighty God and I know or can imagine how rough the road is for you but He knows as well.His Love will comfort you all and His Grace is sufficient.This is so heartbreaking for all and I know that your faith will not fail you at this time.We don’t have the answers to why?,or whatever but I know that BY HIS STRIPES WE ARE HEALED.I am a four time cancer survivor so I’m a living witness what the power of God will and can do.YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR FAITH WILL CERTAINLY BE A TESTIMONY AS WELL AS AN INDICATOR THAT “ONLY GOD.” THE lORD IS OUR SHEPHERD,WE SHALL NOT WANT.PSALMS 23.
Hello…I learned of your website from Courtney Harris! I read about your sweet baby Noah and have been praying for him as well as Carter and I will continue. I pray that God will continue to surround you with his love and continue to answer all the prayers for Noah and your family.
I can’t imagine the pain, the worry, the anger, the sadness. I am a mother. I know the love for a child. I am terribly sorry that this has happend to your sweet baby boy. He is a beautiful little baby.
May God Bless you all,
Sincerely,
Kelly Stevenson
I have been following your story since the beginning through a mutual friend, Summer B. Your family is never out of my prayers and always on my heart. I was praying for you last night around 12:30am. It is wonderful to know that PICU never sleeps and moreso neither does God. Prayers can always be sent and received.
Last night I was thinking of Noah and what he name made me think of…the flood. I am pretty sure the Heaven is being flooded with prayers not only for him, but you, your families, and all the staff involved in his precious life. May the flooding prayer waters carry you all during this time. Rest in them and knowing God is in control even in the most hellish hours.
We had a little one who rested on similiar prayers as we spent time in the NICU. Ours too was an amazing journey. The verse we clung to every day then, as well as often still…
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding,
in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Prov. 3:5&6
It is not easy to follow these instructions from Prov. but God will met you there.
Praying for you and the others in the PICU,
Candace Rae
Someone on the message boards just shared this with me and i am completely broken about this!!!!I am a daycare provider myself and can’t believe my own eyes that i am reading a story like this… I am truely sorry for what you and your family are going through but i will pass your story on to my friends and family and you will have people from everywhere praying for your family and your sons recovery!!! God Bless you and know that there are people out there that Love you and are thinking of you… Be strong(as strong as you can be) i will continually check in and see how things are going… your in my prayers!!!
Dear Mike and Erin,
I heard about Noah through Nona Wilt. She and I both work at CCS. I’m passing Noah’s needs on to everyone I know.
As hard as this might seem to you right now, I do understand what you’re going through. When my 2nd child was born I was told that she had 0% chance of living. They said that she had double pneumonia and that both lungs were full of fluid. My husband had just left for home to get some much needed sleep after the 36 hour labor. A nurse over heard the doctor and called him to come back to the hospital to be with me. My husband told the doctor to work on Christina while we prayed. They had to put our 8 pound 14 ounce baby in an incubator and force straight oxygen into her body. She was flown to Children’s Hospital in DC. We were told this was all a waste of time because if by chance she did live she would have permanent optical nerve damage and permanent brain damage. They said that she would never have a normal life.
Christina is a healthy 26 year old now and the manager of a Sheetz store. She and her husband have 2 healthy beautiful children of their own.
God is in control! I’m praying He will perform the same miracle for Noah that He did for Christina! I’m also praying for peace and comfort for you, your family, and friends as you go through this horrible season in your life.
With His love and peace,
Terie =)
Mike and Erin,
Words can’t express how much my heart breaks for you and your family. My husband and I are close friends of the Dicksons, and we live in Ottawa As a mother to a one year old boy, I was enormously touched, disturbed, and heartbroken to hear your story. I only hope that you can find the strength to remain positive and focus on healing your little Noah. He is a beautiful baby. Stay strong and positive.
Our thoughts are with you.
Louise & Shawn
I learned about your son today in an email from a friend. I will keep Noah and your family in my prayers. I sent your story to many of my friends and one sent me an email back and suggested that you also put your story on a website called Caring Bridges. You can keep everyone updated,and receive prayers, words of encouragement ,etc. from people all around the world.
May God bless you with the strength of his love for your family.
Mike we have been praying for Baby Noah all week. This is a tragic thing and I know it is hard for you and Erin to even wake up in the morning everyday and deal with such a thing. But I know your also a very strong person and Baby Noah is lucky to have such great parents.
I cried after getting off the phone with you the other night it hit me like a ton of bricks. I cant get this off my mind and Im praying for comfort for you and your family. Mike be strong I know you will. God will comfort you Im here if you need anything please call me. Love you guys ! JD Weaver