Prepare to Protect Our Children: 2012

Disclaimer: These warning signs may not mean your child is being abused, something else may be the cause.

GOD knows all things, so pray for revelation concerning your children and watch GOD answer. "For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known." Luke 12:2 NKJV

Please spend time with your child or children. Get to know your children, study your child, and pay attention to details. Most children suffering abuse are under the age of four, they are not able to express themselves verbally like adults. There are signs, any sudden change in behavior, body language, excessive crying, urinating on themselves frequently (when its abnormal because the child is potty trained), shaking and afraid when a certain person comes around. Listed below is some helpful information.

Children seldom lie about sexual abuse. They find it very hard to tell someone. If they tell you, you need to listen carefully and believe them.

The signs of abuse vary with age. What Every Parent Should Know:

ü Child sexual abuse may result in both physical and emotional problems for children.

ü Most abused children complain of various physical problems.

ü Most children show mistrust of all significant adults.

ü The child often feels guilty and responsible for the abuse.

A wide range of behaviors can be seen in abused children. These behaviors may include:

Ø Depression

Ø Suicidal Actions

Ø Withdrawal

Ø Self Destruction

Ø Delinquent Acts

It is estimated that between 50-60% of child fatalities due to maltreatment are not recorded as such on death certificates. ³
More than 90% of juvenile sexual abuse victims know their perpetrator in some way. ⁴
Child abuse occurs at every socioeconomic level, across ethnic and cultural lines, within all religions and at all levels of education.

www.childhelp.org

By LaShaunda Pittman

These are my twins and this is my story….

I delivered two twin girls at the end of my sixth month of pregnancy, at 23 weeks gestation. The doctor’s ask me to terminate my pregnancy. The doctor’s were determined to terminate my pregnancy at 17 weeks because my water was leaking (amniotic sack, amniotic fluid was leaking) and I could get an infection that could kill me and the twins. The doctor’s ordered me to get ultrasounds every week and every time I went the doctors were always whispering, something was wrong with one of the twins, but they wouldn’t tell me what. The doctors advised me to terminate the pregnancy repeatedly.

I refused, because they had confirmed that the other twin was fine, and was not having any complications. So they admitted me in the hospital for 72 hours for antibiotics by IV, so I would not catch an infection an ordered me to bed rest upon discharge from the hospital. I didn’t have any help, so I continued to drive my oldest son to school, and care for my children, performing the daily duties, like feeding, cleaning, laundry, etc. At midnight January 01, 2011, I was taking Isree’l, my daughter to the bathroom and I fell to my knees. A pain struck my body and it felt like a bolt of lightning.

I didn’t know it at the time but the labor had started and my contractions were two minutes apart. I was in the bathroom and yelling for Tj my youngest son to help, he saw me on the floor and ran to get help. I yelled for my eldest son, Zeq, and he came and helped me get in bed. The pain got worst so I decided to go to the hospital. It was raining that morning at around 12:20am. Zeq got everyone in my truck and tried to help me as I would drop to the ground every two minutes. I could barely walk. When I would fall to the ground I would pray, “LORD, help me, just get me to the hospital, please LORD, help me.” And I would rise and walk once again. It took me a good ten minutes or longer to get to my truck.

I called my Pastor while I was driving and told her I was going to drop my children off at her house and then drive to the E.R. She told me that I sound like I need to get to the hospital and she would meet me there and get my children. I jumped on the Lodge Freeway, and it had started raining really hard. I was praying and trying to see in the rain and every time a contraction would come I would hit the gas pedal hard. I was praying that God got us to the hospital safely, and I looked over and noticed Zeq calling on Jesus repeatedly.

I don’t know if my driving was scaring him or my screams from my pain. We got to the hospital and no one was around to help. Zeq got his siblings out the car and went to find help inside the hospital lobby. It was still raining as I tried to walk from my truck to the door; I walked behind my vehicle and fell to the ground on my knees. I begin to cry; I prayed to GOD, I told him I couldn’t make it. This angel, grabbed my arm, he was a black man in a hospital gown with a cane, he helped me off the ground. (I knew it was an angel, because he appeared out of nowhere, it was almost one in the morning New Year’s Day, when I pulled up to park I looked around for help and no one was around the hospital.)

Right when we were headed to the entrance the security guard and Zeq came outside with a wheelchair. I thanked him and told the security guard I was in early labor. I let him know I was waiting on my Pastor to meet me here to get my children. The RN came to get me and said that I had to go up and I couldn’t leave my children in the lobby, but the security guard stepped in and vowed to watch them until my Pastor got there and picked them up.

My contractions were every two minutes and I was dilated to seven. When the doctor came in he asked me if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy because it was too early to have the twins that they only had a 13% chance of surviving. I refused to terminate the pregnancy and asked them if they would do whatever it takes to help my babies live. They gave me steroids shots for the babies’ lungs, they gave me medication to stop the labor, and pain medication, and they performed whatever procedures they needed to.

I forgot to mention I had been praying for names for the twins, the LORD told me Faith and Joy. I knew that the twin that was having the complications I was to name Faith. Because I needed faith to believe GOD was going to do a miracle and heal her. So around five in the afternoon New Year’s Day, January 01, 2011, I gave birth to Joy, and she weighed 1pound an 4 ounces and 11 ¼ inches long. Two days later on January 03, 2011 around five in the afternoon I gave birth to Faith who weighed 440gm and 29cm long. Faith died the next morning around seven, on January 04, 2011. The doctor’s were not hopeful that Joy would make it the first 24 hours; they doubted she would make it through the week.

I prayed and confessed miracle healing scriptures my entire time in the hospital, I was hopeful that the twins would survive. Despite what the stats were and what the doctors said, I just knew GOD was going to heal both twins. I had lost so much blood the day I delivered Faith, Jan. 3^rd that I almost died. My eyes were very heavy and I was very cold from the inside, like my bones were cold. I could not stop shaking, and I kept going in and out, the nurse aid put like four warm blankets on me. I was still cold and weak. I manage to reach for the phone that was by my pillow and call my Pastor. I told her that I was very cold, something was wrong and that I couldn’t keep my eyes open, they were so heavy. Immediately she started praying for me and called more saints and told them to start praying for me.

After midnight, I was moved to a regular floor. I felt the Lord wanted me to go see Faith, so around two am, I went to the NICU to see her, and she had tubes everywhere. While being wheeled back to my room, I heard the LORD say, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD.” Right then I knew she was going to Heaven. I had so much peace, peace I never felt before. At five am the RN told me they need me in the NICU, that the baby coded blue. I started praying, when I got up there she was fine.

Then at around seven in the morning the RN told me I needed to go back. When I got to the NICU, they said she is unresponsive, that her heart had stop beating and the medication isn’t working. It was nothing else they could do. I told them they could remove her from the life support (ventilator/breathing machine). They let me hold her until her heart stop beating. The whole time I held her I cried, the tears would not stop falling, but the LORD was standing on the left side of me, I could feel HIS presence so strong. The Doctor’s had said she was already dead, but while they wheeled me to the bereavement room, Faith opened her eyes and looked at me. As to say, it’s ok, she’s fine. (That was a miracle)

I know that the LORD was there and HIS angels took my baby to Heaven that day. I cried for two months every single day after that, reliving that moment every time I went to visit Joy in the NICU. Until one Sunday, I went to Worship Service, and a Minister prayed for me, the LORD told me it was ok to let Faith go, and I fell out in service. I was healed, from that day on I did not cry any more. I would get sad when I would see twin girls, but this summer the LORD totally healed me and it doesn’t bother me anymore.

In the meantime, Joy was still in NICU. She had to have surgery on her heart in late Feb. 2011. She almost died numerous times. The Doctors had no hope that Joy would live. I would sit and pray over her, sing songs of worship to her, and confess scriptures over her life. I would encourage her on every visit. Joy had caught four infections at one time and the doctor’s said I need to say my goodbyes that it was nothing else they could do for her.

She had been on one type of ventilator (life support/breathing machine) and they switched her to a different one that vibrates. Her father came from out of state to see her and Joy stop breathing in front of him. In the middle of July the LORD spoke through a Prophet at Worship Service to me, telling me to give Joy to HIM, to trust Joy to HIM, to let her go. If I did not give Joy to HIM she was going to always suffer, through surgeries after surgery and repeated illness because she was born at 23 weeks. The doctor had said babies can only survive at 24 weeks, that its impossible for her to live. But my GOD is a GOD of impossibilities, miracles, signs, and wonders! HE still heals, HE still delivers, HE is still seated on the throne, ruling and reigning!

So I instantly left service and went to the hospital. I took Zeq with me. I prayed over Joy, I dedicated her, gave her to JESUS, and just held her and cried. I was expecting Joy to die and go to Heaven. I packed all Joy things up and took down all her pictures. I was looking for a baby to give her things to and my Pastor told me to hold on and see what GOD is going to do.

Everyday for that next two weeks Joy got better. I was in shock. They sent her home on a Sunday, July 31, 2011. I took Joy straight to Worship Service to give GOD, HIS glory. And from that day until now GOD has been doing miracles in Joy. In November 2011 Joy was boarded at Beaumont Hospital to have eye surgery. The night before the surgery we prayed and I reminded GOD of HIS WORD. HE answered and said miracles. Dr. Anthony Capone was the surgeon and he said Joy didn’t need the surgery that her eyes were like the eyes of a full-term baby. And that she doesn’t need her eyes checked again until her 5^th birthday before she goes to school. Glory! Glory to GOD! HE is still doing MIRACLES!

Evangelist LaShaunda Pittman that is my story. Please check out the pictures and medical record