Jireh Carranza Speaks
Will you help support Jireh Carranza’s legacy?
Your generous giving allows Abel Speaks to support families like ours. Thank you for your partnership as we seek to ensure that every family will cherish their child’s life and have hope in the midst of sorrow!
Our Story
We received Jireh’s diagnosis for Trisomy 18 after taking a NIPT test at around 10 weeks. Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder where the baby has an extra 18th chromosome. Many babies don’t make it to birth and die within their first month. We were crushed and full of despair. But when we saw him on the monitor, we saw his little body, his hands and feet moving so fast and wiggling. He was absolutely beautiful. Four different times, doctors asked if we wanted to terminate him. It was frustrating and hurtful, but every time, we said no. Despite what the doctors were saying, he was our son, and he was worthy of a chance at life.
It was a hard journey, though, and many times we felt alone. How do we share this news with people? There was a lot of mourning and fear of the unknown, but the Lord always reassured us that He was with us and that He was with Jireh. His love for Jireh was massive and endless.
We were 33 weeks pregnant when we found out that his blood flow was making pauses. What we thought would be a regular ultrasound appointment turned into my doctor urging me to go into Labor & Delivery. At 33 weeks and 5 days, the doctors called an emergency C-section. It happened so fast, but the scripture that Malu repeated over and over was Isaiah 41:10:
“Do not be afraid, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will help you. I will strengthen you. I will uphold you with my right arm.”
On Friday, February 10th, 2023, Jireh was born at 6:45 a.m. He was so beautiful. The next 3 days were extremely hard but also precious. We had to make several hard decisions—different procedures, different medicine, different monitors and sounds. We are so thankful for our family in Christ, whom we reached out to several times for prayer. We felt like they were totally holding our hands up.
On February 13th, Jireh’s health began to decline more and more. We got to fill his room with prayer and praise and worship. It was beautiful. As he took his last breath, he was surrounded by loved ones.
Paying it Forward
As our journey with grieving Jireh began, that’s when we came across Abel Speaks. We received a box with his name on it, “Jireh Beloved.” It meant so much to us to see our son’s name. And then we received a frame with his name in calligraphy. And then a Mother’s Day card, a Father’s Day card, a necklace with his name, and so on. That first year after Jireh was incredibly hard, but to receive these gifts was so comforting. We received more and more precious gifts from Abel Speaks. In a time when many weren’t sure how to comfort us, Abel Speaks knew how because they’ve walked this journey too. We felt so seen and loved, and it meant everything that they remembered Jireh.
Last year, we attended the Abel Speaks Retreat. We didn’t know what to expect, but oh, how life-giving it was! There was a place for everyone on the spectrum. For those who needed to mourn more, there was room. For those who wanted to celebrate their babies, there was room. To be known as Jireh’s parents was so special because nowhere else do we get to be known like that.
Donating to Abel Speaks in Jireh’s honor would be a beautiful way to keep Jireh’s memory alive, and it would mean so, so much to us. We know how powerfully God has used Abel Speaks in our lives and know that there are more families that need an organization like this one.
By faith, Jireh Carranza still speaks!
With love,
Dave and Malu Carranza
SUPPORT ABEL SPEAKS IN HONOR OF JIREH CARRANZA
Abel Speaks is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible.
2001 W Plano Pkwy, Suite 3405 Plano, TX 75075
(972) 688-6405