There are moments in life when God’s presence feels unmistakable — when His voice is not loud, but certain. Noelle’s story began in one of those moments.

Before I became pregnant with Noelle, I had experienced a miscarriage. I remember sitting on the couch one day, heavy with grief and fear, wondering if my son would ever have a sibling. My heart was conflicted — longing for new life while still carrying loss.

Some time after, one day, I felt a deep, undeniable sense that I was pregnant. Not only that — but that I was certain it was a baby girl.

And that she would be born, of course, in December ... the only month I didn't want. I did not want a Christmas baby.

For the next several days, the song “Noel” by Lauren Daigle played in my mind over and over. I couldn’t escape it. I knew — before any test confirmed it — our baby would be a girl and we would name her Noelle. Her name means Christmas. She would have a story, that was for sure. 

At first, the pregnancy tests showed nothing. My husband worried that my desire for a baby after loss was clouding my judgment. But then one day, there it was — a test showing two lines. Soon after, blood tests confirmed it: we were having a baby girl.

The pregnancy itself was filled with uncertainty. Ultrasounds revealed concerning findings, and fear often crept in. Still, I held onto the peace God had given me at the beginning. Noelle was due on December 21, and I sensed she would have a story — though I had no idea how much that story would cost. I knew the end result would be "come and see what God has done." 

Then, on November 5, at 33 weeks, Noelle stopped moving in my womb. I called my doctor and was told to go straight to the hospital. I hesitated, but my husband and coworkers urged me. There, it was determined that she was in distress, and an emergency C-section was needed.

When Noelle was born, her belly was distended, and she was transferred to the NICU at another hospital. I will never forget my husband coming in to tell me that she was going to be transferred and he would be going with her. I soon found out I would be transferred later that night as well. The next day, she underwent emergency surgery for a bowel blockage, a sign that cystic fibrosis was a likely diagnosis. What followed was a six-week NICU stay — weeks of praying, waiting, and learning what it means to trust God, one breath at a time. 

About a week into her stay, we received the diagnosis: cystic fibrosis. It was not the story I would have chosen for my child, but we held onto His promises. There was so much to learn, it was overwhelming. Cystic fibrosis is a disease with a lot of quirks … salty skin, a high-fat diet, putting enzymes into applesauce, lung infections … the list of things to know felt daunting. 

And then — just in time for Christmas — Noelle came home.

Her first year of life was marked by frequent hospital stays — almost every month. It was hard. The kind of hard I don't think I could put into words. God sustained us, one day at a time. We learned that cystic fibrosis was going to be a big part of our lives … daily treatments, medications, a different diet. 

The hospital stays were hard on all of us, but what we didn’t expect was how difficult it would be on her 3-year-old brother. The bond between him and his new fragile sister was something that I could not have expected. 

It was God and a strong support system, including the incredible CF team that has become like family, that got us through the toughest of times. 

Today, Noelle is doing amazingly well. She is on a modulator therapy, wears her airway clearance vest twice a day, and takes her medication morning and night. Her life requires diligence and care, but it is full of joy and resilience.

Her name means Christmas. And Christmas means God with us — Immanuel (Matthew 1:23). Noelle’s life reflects that truth daily. God entered our broken world, not promising an easy path, but promising His presence.

One line from the song that followed me from the very beginning continues to echo through her life: “Noel, come and see what God has done.”

Through loss, fear, surgery, diagnosis, and healing — God has been faithful. Noelle’s life proclaims the gospel in a way words alone never could. She is evidence that Jesus came near, that light shines in the darkness, “and the darkness has not overcome it,” (John 1:5). We thank God for the gift that Jesus brings, eternal and full life with Him. We long for the day that there is complete healing!

This is Noelle’s story.

And it is still being written. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus,” (Philippians 1:6).

Interested in sharing your story? The CF Community Blog wants to hear from you.