Mother Of Girl Born With Rare Form Of Muscular Dystrophy Prays In Shower To Keep Her Baby And Encourages Others 13 Years Later With Her Daughter's Story

Nov 14, 2019 by apost team

A new baby is one of life’s greatest blessings, and Debra and Eric Markell could not have been happier with their sweet little girl, Sophie. Sadly, what seemed like a fairy-tale quickly turned dark when 11-month-old Sophie was diagnosed with a condition called Emergy-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy or EDMD.

EDMD is a rare but serious condition that affects only one in every 100,000 people in the United States. EDMD affects its victims by causing significant weakness in the shoulders, calves, and upper-arms in addition to stiffness of joints. For Sophie, the side effects of her condition were life-changing and include 20 hours of nursing each day, multiple medications, and specific therapies. Regardless of how much therapy Sophie receives, her muscles will continue to deteriorate as she ages. 

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Debra recounts how upset they were when they discovered Sophie’s problems and explains that she would pray in the shower, begging God to let them keep their little girl. Sophie is now thirteen-years-old and she is thriving regardless of the physical limitations that she experiences. While her family certainly would not have chosen this path, they have accepted that it gives them a chance to show others that families can include all kinds of people.

Sophie is not angry or upset about her situation; instead, this brave teenager strives to make the most out of her life. The little girl’s happy smile shows that she doesn’t let her disabilities hold her back. Even though she has limited use of her arms, she still enjoys painting using her feet to hold the brushes. She recently was elected vice president at her school and loves to learn!

Debra and Eric went on to have a second child, a little boy who is now eight-years-old and is the joy of Sophie’s life. Debra says that she prayed that Sophie would live long enough for her brother to get to know her and, watching them play together now, we can easily see that the two have formed a strong bond that will leave lasting memories for them both. Sophie can talk and is very happy to share stories about her life with others. What she can’t do in daily life, she enjoys experiencing through computer games and her Wii.

This family is currently working to share the story of Sophie, encouraging people to accept those with disabilities while also following Sophie’s example and not allowing their own disabilities to hold them back from accomplishing their life goals.