Amanda, Perfectly Made
A Caregiver’s Journey
by
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Monday morning was when our whole world changed. Ted woke up very early to get on the road to Indiana for a sales call. At just after nine o’clock in the morning, my phone rang. It was my doctor. In a very anxious yet concerned voice he tried to explain the findings of my ultrasound. I felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the room as I struggled to understand what he was telling me. Words, as if playing off a teleprompter, drifted by in slow motion: “…very little brain…very serious…you must see a specialist in Detroit…I don’t know if you’ll be bringing a baby home or not…appointment tomorrow…” I cannot explain how I felt. It was like a waterfall of bad news had just poured all over me. I felt like I was suddenly drowning. A feeling of panic washed over me as I desperately tried to keep my head above water. As I tried to grasp the news from the doctor, I felt as though I was treading in deep turbulent water. Everything became thick and slow and with such a suffocating feeling of desperation. I knew I needed to reach Ted right away, but these were the days before he or most anyone had a pager or a cell phone. I called the local office that he worked from and somehow made enough sense to the office manager, Margie. She said she would get a message through to Ted. Margie was able to determine where Ted was making his sales call and connected with a receptionist there. Ted had pretty much just arrived there and was told he had an important call. Margie gave him the scattered details that she had gathered from me. Ted was also swept away by this flood of life changing news and literally collapsed to his knees in front of the receptionist’s desk. I believe he made a call to me, we made a confused exchange of information, and he got back in his car to make the long drive home. The remainder of the day was a blur. I am not sure who I called or what we talked about. I waited the long hours until Ted returned home. I can only recall an afternoon of tears and talks on the phone. How we even slept that night, I don’t know, but the next day was to take us to Detroit and a specialist.
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About the Book
On August 1, 1983, Laurel Greshel’s world changed forever after a phone call from her doctor. After receiving word that her unborn baby had serious health issues, Laurel was overwhelmed. As she and her husband, Ted, struggled to accept the diagnosis that their daughter, Amanda, would be born with spina bifida, they had to slowly learn to say goodbye to “normal” and embrace each of their tiny newborn’s accomplishments.
Without any instruction book on how to raise a child with spina bifida, Laurel and Ted must learn to survive countless medical issues and several near-death scares with Amanda by leaning on their faith in God. As Laurel candidly shares experiences—both good and bad—that she has with doctors, nurses, teachers, family members, and friends, she offers a heartfelt glimpse into her painful struggles as she gives entirely of herself to help Amanda grow to her full potential. With the help of God’s steady hand, Laurel manages to raise two other daughters, nurture her marriage, and cope with all the ups and downs of caring for a medically challenged child.
In this poignant memoir, one mother describes her unforgettable journey through her daughter’s difficulties, revealing the important message that God creates all of us just the way He wants us— perfectly made.
About the Author
Laurel Rausch Greshel grew up in Parma, Ohio, and later moved to southeastern Michigan, where she and her husband, Ted, raised three daughters. It is through her faith that Laurel faced and survived the challenges of raising her eldest daughter, Amanda, who was born with spina bifida.