Family Celebrates The Christmas Miracle Of Life
PLYMOUTH, Minn. (WCCO) -- A Plymouth family is celebrating a Christmas miracle -- the gift of life.
Jamie Hammer has been at University Hospital since October waiting on a life-saving lung transplant.
Doctors told her family, without it, Jamie would not see the holidays.
Jamie has battled cystic fibrosis since birth.
She lives for hope. It's that hope of a miracle that kept her family going when a routine doctor's visit led to a lengthy hospital stay.
"We couldn't let her be alone. This is probably the scariest time of her life, the scariest time of our lives," said Chris Hammer, Jamie's husband.
The family's love for Jamie, hope that a transplant was around the corner and faith that God would deliver a miracle sustained them for days.
"That faith, hope and love was like a chant to keep us going in the darkest days," said Kaitlin Coleman, Jamie's oldest sister.
It was shortly before Christmas when doctors gave the family bad news.
"He really told me that we're down to the final days here and another one of the doctors said we are into the two-minute drill at that point, so I knew there were not very many days left," Chris said.
"I think the CaringBridge site was huge I think so many people felt this miracle felt this sense of hope," Coleman said.
Jamie's family documented her journey of faith and hope.
It's where they also opened up about the importance of organ and tissue donation.
"For all of us, I think it was very hard just to accept the fact that we needed something bad to occur for something good," Chris said.
That bad but good thing happened, Dec. 21.
"I was kind of sitting by the window watching the snow fall and he looks at me from the corner of his eye and he said I might have some good news for you," Chris said.
Jamie's Christmas miracle had arrived.
"The solstice when she got her transplant is the darkest day of the year and out of that came like this light this hope," Coleman said.
For this family, Christmas Eve was like no other.
"I don't think I could ever ask for another Christmas present that would even come close," Chris said.
Their prayers have been answered.
"Every breath she takes we will be thankful to this life that gave our sister life," said Coleman.
Jamie is so close to getting off the ventilator, so close to be able to talk and laugh again.
Their hope is Sunday she will be strong enough to breath on her own.
WCCO-TV's Reg Chapman Reports
