A TWO and a half year-old boy’s fight for life has convinced a Gold Coast family that prayer does produce miracles and has the medical profession shaking their heads in disbelief.
Six months ago Caleb Hunter, who was diagnosed as having a rare terminal lung disorder called dysplastic lungs soon after he was born, still slept attached to an oxygen bottle.
Despite a bleak diagnosis, his mother Andrea refused to give up and instead turned to prayer.
‘I have no doubt at all that prayer is the reason Caleb is still here, that and love. He really is a miracle,’ she said.
Andrea’s mother Kay is the parish secretary at Southport and the Catholic community have taken little Caleb into their hearts and into their prayers.
‘Right from the start I remember Mum telling me that (Vincentian) Father Stan (Barry) would mention Caleb at Mass each week and say how he was going.
‘Caleb was 12 days overdue and had to be induced.’
Andrea never left her young son’s side during his early weeks while doctors searched for a reason for his life threatening condition.
Andrea said Caleb spent about seven weeks in the Gold Coast Hospital before finally being sent to the Mater Children’s Hospital in Brisbane for a lung biopsy.
‘They had to send it overseas to England and America and other places because the condition is so rare.
‘When they realised what it was, they came into the ward and told me and asked me if I wanted to leave him there until he passed away or bring him home.’
Andrea said Caleb was attached to an oxygen bottle 24 hours a day, being fed through a tube and on morphine infusions to slow down his breathing, but she was determined Caleb should go home.
Andrea’s mum Kay said, according to medical sources and the Internet, no baby prior to Caleb had lived for more than 52 days with this condition.
‘He has now been taken off all oxygen since his most recent visit to the Mater.
‘It is nothing short of miraculous. Caleb’s lungs have now corrected themselves and Andrea and our family will never be able to repay all the wonderful people who have offered so many prayers for Caleb.’
As for the doctors who have treated Caleb over the past two and a half years, Andrea said they could not believe he was still alive.
‘They shake their heads, as medically they can’t explain it.’
