Every life has value. We all know this. But we can see this truth in action in the lives of Raja and Jessica Paulraj and the amazing community of heath care providers at the University of North Carolina Hospital.
Raja and Jessica were newlyweds working at a Christian hospital in a predominantly Muslim section of northeastern India. Raj was the hospital administrator and Jessica was a nurse. An incredible thing happened.
A baby was born in that hospital with such severe deformities that the family refused to take it home. In fact, they told Raj if they were forced to take it back to their village, they would poison it. The child has no eyelids, no nose, no hands, his legs were fused together, and the list goes on. But the child's main organs were functioning properly. His brain, heart and lungs were just fine.
When Jessica and Raj saw this helpless infant they were overwhelmed with compassion. They decided to adopt him and give him the love and the attention that Jesus would. They named their new child Adam.
Raj and Jessica knew they needed to get baby Adam the best medical care possible, so they contacted their friends back in the United States with an open-ended question, "can anyone help?"
Brooke Gleason, a friend of Jessica's, worked at UNC hospital and knew a cranio-facial surgeon there named John Van Aalst, a sincere follower of Jesus Christ. He immediately took up the cause of baby Adam and got his doctor colleagues on board. The hospital fundraising effort kicked into high gear and through a miraculous effort, raised $100,000 in the first week alone.
This money was necessary to give Adam the surgeries he needed right away. Even though most doctors donated their time, the hospital bill was still very high.
The first round of surgeries gave Adam eyelids so he could close his eyes for the first time in his life...12 weeks without eyelids! He had surgery that allowed him to close his mouth for the first time, too. Dr. Van Aalst says he will eventually have the use of prosthetic hands and legs.
Surely the future is bright for Adam because he has parents who are filled with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and a supportive community encouraging him and praying for him.
If you would like to see baby Adam for yourself, monitor his progress and join in prayer for this precious child, log on to Baby Adam's Journey.