I was 19 when I got pregnant with my son. It was a very normal pregnancy in the beginning – never had morning sickness or anything.

My husband and my parents all took me out for my 20th birthday dinner and, being tired after that, I was ready to go home and rest. Now keep in mind, I had gained a lot of weight very rapidly and my hands, feet and face were really swollen.

That night when we came home I lay on the couch and all of a sudden I felt like I could not breathe, like someone was sitting on my chest. I got a really strange feeling all over. I was telling my husband that something was not right and he called my OB. I started to go upstairs to lie down when he quickly got off the phone and said we were going to the hospital. We loaded up and were on our way.

On the way to the hospital, hubby was making phone calls to family and friends, letting them know what was going on. The whole way to the hospital, I was in a catatonic state. I was staring off into a daze, kind of out of it.

We arrived at the hospital and my blood pressure was taken during triage. It was 189/108. I was seconds away from having seizures and possibly a coma. I was rushed up to labor and delivery when I got my own room, which was huge. I would soon be diagnosed with pre-eclampsia – or toxemia.

I had a huge amount of protein in my urine, my kidneys were shutting down and I was put on immediate bed rest in the hospital. I was hooked up to a catheter, and was limited to a few friends and family that could visit. The room had to be quiet, with low lights and no phone calls, nothing to raise my blood pressure.

I was only 27 weeks pregnant so they were going to try to keep him inside of me as long as possible. The doctor only gave him a 20 percent chance of living. But we were ready for the challenge.

Come to find out he would be better off outside of me due to the toxemia. A week later, at 28 weeks pregnant, an emergency Cesarean section took place at 3:08 a.m. and a beautiful baby boy was born weighing 2 pounds, 1 1/2 ounces. He was 13 inches long.

He would stay in the hospital for 10 weeks just to grow. He never had to have any surgery, nor was he ever sick. He just needed to grow.

I lived at the hospital for those 10 weeks, only going home to shower and eat since I was already discharged without him. The hardest thing I ever had to do was go home without him.

He came home on an apnea monitor for about two months but he never had an episode so he was perfect. It was just for precaution.

He is perfect now with the occasional seasonal allergies and asthma, but I think he is out growing that. Dylan is 6 years old now and just graduated from kindergarten last week. I could not have asked for a more perfect child. We were so blessed.

Never give up on your children – even when the odds are not in your favor. Miracles do happen – my son is living proof of that.