The birth of our firstborn, Geraint, had already proved to be a wonderful miracle. When he was christened in Trinity Church by a Mizo pastor he was also given a Mizo name. Because of the circumstances of his birth, his name was Lalchanhima, which means ‘saved by the Lord’. (David and I were born in Mizoram.)

 Because of rhesus incompatibility we were warned that our second child could be very anaemic and would be very poorly. Our second son, Hywel, was born very swiftly at 6.20pm.on a November Sunday evening and was whipped away, even before I had seen him, to the Premature Baby Unit. All I was told was that he was very poorly and that there was a faint hope that a complete change of his blood might save him.

Still very inexperienced in battling in prayer, I spent the whole evening fighting for our little son’s life. Exhausted and on the point of giving up at 12.30am, I became conscious of a presence at the foot of my bed. I was aware it was not a nurse or any other human being, so timidly opened my eyes and realised the Presence was Jesus, my Lord and Saviour. It was the most amazing and thrilling experience of my whole life. As I looked adoringly at Him, I heard an audible voice speaking to me in Welsh (my first language).

“Mair, paid a phoeni dim mwy. Mae Hywel yn mynd i fod yn IAWN.” Mair, don’t worry any more. Hywel is going to be fine.” I was filled with awe and thanksgiving and longed for that moment to last forever. It didn’t, but the wonderful peace He gave me stayed with me for a very long time. Many, many times, when doubts come flooding in, I relive that moment, and the peace and reassurance returns.

A few minutes after the experience, the paediatrician, Dr. Sheila Harris, came to my bed with her team from the Premature Maternity Unit. Surprised to see me awake, she gave me the latest report on our son. "Mrs. Edwards", she said, "a few minutes ago we thought we had lost your little boy, but we believe we were able to resuscitate and save him. BUT I have to warn you that because his brain was deprived of oxygen for at least two minutes, he will probably be badly brain damaged. The very best you can hope for is that he will be profoundly deaf."

Her voice was full of care and compassion, but she was very surprised when I stated really strongly, "No, Dr. Harris, Hywel is going to be well." She probably thought I was too tired to have heard properly, so she told me to relax and give in to sleep.

The next morning when she came to see me she asked, "Mrs. Edwards, please tell me why you said what you did last night." When I told her of my wonderful experience, she smiled broadly and was as excited as I was. "How wonderful!" she replied. "I am a Christian, too, so I understand."

David and I dedicated Hywel to the Lord in thanksgiving for his life. Although he did not respond to sound until he was six weeks old and was anaemic for his first year, he grew into a fine young man who loves the Lord with all his heart. He is now the pastor of a flourishing church in Colwyn Bay, and has three lovely children. The oldest will be 18 on Christmas Day, and all three love the Lord.

Some have said I saw an angel that night, but I feel sure the Lord Jesus blessed me with His own real Presence that night.

Mair Edwards