by Brooke Huntley

Created on: February 07, 2009   Last Updated: October 31, 2010

Through out my 22 years of life, I've opened amazing gifts and worn a few sparkling rings, but the best gift I've ever received is my two month old son. Of course I didn't tear open my son or receive him from the man of my dreams, but the man of my dreams made my gift come alive. I have always dreamed of the day I would be a mother, but I always figured I would be married first. I waited for a child since I was 17 years old and still in school.

From an early age I wanted to care for someone that was so much like me and one I could love for my whole life. In my early teenage years I wished and tried to have a baby, but complications occurred. At 17 years old, I had a cysts problem and had surgery for it, and was told it would be a miracle if I could carry a child. Supposedly, my feminine area had problems, I had major ovarian cysts, and only had one fallopian tube capable of accepting a sperm. After my surgery which was my Christmas gift, I stopped having menstrual periods. I was put on a variety of contraceptive pills and shots, but none activated that time of the month. I then found out that I may of had a miscarriage, when I first found out about my cysts.

Now at age 22 I have been dating my love of my life for almost two years, and he had two hernias and the doctor also found a problem with his scrotum. Doctor said in able for him to have children he would have to undergo a surgery to properly let his sperm be alive. We found this out right after we started dating, but we hadn't wanted kids then so his problem is still not fixed, but he gave me my wonderful son, so don't listen to doctors about these kind of situations.

When I found out I was pregnant I was 8 weeks along, and at 30 weeks it went down hill. During my seventh month I had bleeding and major back pains. I finally went into the emergency room due to my back pains, and was hospitalized for four days before I delivered my premature son. I was one of those mothers that happened to have pre-eclampsia, and this disease can be cured but if not watched could have caused me to experience seizures, and maybe even bad problems to the fetus inside me. The reason why I say my son is my best gift, is because I almost lost him and could have died myself. My son born at 30 weeks at 2lbs 11ozs is now home, after being in NICU for a month, is doing great and is now clear of any health problems. The best gift anyone can be given is a child, and my son is the only gift I could ever ask more, except now he needs a sister, then my children will become my best gift ever.

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