Faith Ann Nickisch entered the world on September 17th, 2009. On September 22nd, 2009 she entered Heaven. At 5 months intrauterine Faith Ann was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that took her life six short days after birth. The pain and heartache experienced by her parents, Jennifer and Kevin Nickisch, at the death of their daughter can only be fully appreciated by those who have experienced a similar loss. I confess I have not. Nevertheless, when I came across Faith Ann’s obituary in the paper and read it, my heart bled for the family. Yet, the sadness that swept over my spirit was tempered by the apparent faith this family possesses as evident from the obituary. In part it reads: “It was not sure that Faith would make it through the pregnancy. Through lots of support, prayers and the love of God, we were blessed to not only have a live birth, but five full days with our baby girl. Our lives will forever be changed by such a small life with such a desire to meet us down here. We feel blessed and are all better people because of Faith Ann and God’s kindness to share a little piece of Heaven with us.” (Read the obituary here.)

Obviously, Jennifer and Kevin recognize the sacredness of human life. Unfortunately, we live in a society that all too frequently does not. Many women and couples, when faced with the fact that their unborn baby has a lethal genetic defect, choose to abort the child. And all too often that decision to kill the baby is influenced by medical workers that have become so nonchalant toward abortion it has become a foreign concept to them to think anyone would willingly choose to continue a pregnancy knowing the baby may not even survive the pregnancy much less live outside the womb.

Dr. Matt Anderson, a practicing OB/GYN in Minnesota tells of such an incident in an article printed in WORLD magazine. It was discovered by a routine ultrasound examination that the baby of one of his patients, 20 weeks pregnant, had severe abnormalities that would certainly result in the baby’s death within a week or two. Dr. Anderson arranged an appointment with a maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist to discuss the findings. The next day his patient called him, crying. The MFM specialist had told her the baby would probably die within a week or two and insisted she have an abortion in three days. She did not want to do this. Dr. Anderson reassured her she did not have to have an abortion.

When Dr. Anderson called the MFM specialist to question her about her insistence upon his patient having an abortion, she was stunned into silence when he said: “If the baby is going to die anyway, why do you want to kill it before it dies a natural death?” After a pause the MFM specialist replied, “I hadn’t thought of that.” That response reveals the pervasiveness and acceptance of the culture of death within America and the depth of spiritual deadness into which this nation has sank.

To counter this satanic mindset Dr. Byron Calhoun, a pro-life MFM specialist (something of a rarity evidently), introduced a concept to come alongside parents who were faced with the knowledge that their unborn baby had lethal and medically incurable complications. He called the concept Perinatal Hospice. Perinatal Hospice offers life-honoring counsel to the mother from a variety of medical and non-medical persons. She and her husband go through the natural grieving process all parents experience when one of their children faces imminent death and finally succumbs to death. But they do not have to face the grief and guilt caused by a decision to voluntarily kill one of their children. They will live with the knowledge that they gave their child the same dignity and love they would give to any already-born child facing death or elderly parents no longer capable of caring for themselves. That is truly a great gift.

Jennifer and Kevin Nickisch allowed the heavenly Father to bless them with Faith Ann. Her life was not in vain. She has and will continue to touch their lives and the lives of countless others unknown to the Nickisch’s. Her name itself is full of meaning. “Faith” is “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 NASU). “Ann” means “Grace”. Grace is a gift given from love expecting nothing in return. Faith Ann was a little girl who revealed the genuineness of the faith of Jennifer and Kevin. She was a gift given by a loving heavenly Father to enrich the lives of many and returned to His hands with humility and thanksgiving.

Jesus said, “Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise” (Matthew 21:16 ESV). Sometimes that praise is “spoken”, not from the mouth, but from the innocence of the heart of the little one. Faith Ann’s heart has said to me: “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me…I once was lost but now am found, was blind, but now, I see.” Thank you, Precious One, for reminding me that “by grace [I} have been saved through faith. And this is not [my] own doing; it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8 ESV).

Perinatal Hospice is a resource more should be made aware of as women and couples face the pain and grief the loss of their most treasured gift. As Christians we are called to “bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2 NASU) and “rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15). We may not have all the answers, but we know the One who does.

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About Terry L. Brown

Terry taught a home Bible Study for over ten years. In January 2000 he began a writing ministry called “Whispers of the Spirit”. In June 2003 he graduated from Yellowstone Valley Bible Institute with high academic honors, receiving a Certificate of Ministry. Upon graduation he taught adult Sunday school classes and preached upon occasion while maintaining his writing ministry. Terry is also the author of “Hallowed Be Thy Name”. It is available at www.authorhouse.com/bookstore or many other bookstores.He currently lives in Montana with his wife Julie.

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