Through tears & triumphs: A family’s miraculous testimony of faith

Written by: Sophia Roman
Article source: JOY! Magazine

Grizell and Gareth Goliath were expecting twin girls. In the seven months of her pregnancy, doctors became concerned about the space these little ones were occupying in mommy’s womb. In a short space of time, mommy and her babies’ lives were threatened and an emergency caesarean birth was inevitable (on 28 March 2023). Amayah-Grace (meaning close to God’s grace) and Emsleigh (a gift from God) were extremely fragile at birth and could not breathe on their own. They were immediately admitted to the neonatal ICU. They spent one month in NICU while they had to be fed through a tube. Amayah-Grace was doing a little better than Emsleigh but remained fragile.

Rushing to the hospital
While the babies were in hospital, a social worker was assigned to help the parents attend CPR classes so that they could help them breathe, should the need arise. A month after their birth the twins were discharged. Two and a half weeks later, Emsleigh fell sick. Everything escalated from peace to emergency mode. Gareth took Emsleigh from Grizell and pressed on her chest once, blowing in her face so she could gasp for air (which she did). He told Griz and Joash, their three-year-old son, to grab the babies and bags. They sped on the N1 to Louis Leipoldt Hospital. She received medical attention and was discharged the same night with antibiotics. Gareth recalls, “I have never been so emotionally invested or drained. My heart was overwhelmed, but I had to stay strong for my family.”

Another terrible encounter
The following night, Amayah-Grace fell ill, and things escalated from acceptance of what had happened the previous night to complete emergency mode, once again. Grizell came running, in a complete panic, saying Amayah-Grace wasn’t breathing. Gareth took her from Griz again. He could see she was in a worse state than Emsleigh the night before. He tried resuscitating her a few times… she would come through, and then turned blue again. “I then ‘buckled’ trying to figure out in my head what to do next. I was overcome by emotion, to the point of questioning a lot of things, but all I knew was that we needed to get to the ER.” Joash was asleep – Gareth pulled him out of bed, grabbed clothing, and rushed to the car.

Taking her last breaths…
They managed to rush, speeding on the N1… it was like everyone had decided to be on the road at that time – they couldn’t get to the ER fast enough. Griz was trying to keep Amayah-Grace breathing in the back seat. Her breathing had stopped twice. She was gone. “Mommy, you’ve got this,” little Joash said. Gareth’s heart broke, and up until today it still makes him so emotional when he thinks of Griz’s words. She said, “Gareth, I can’t do this anymore…” and repeated it a few times while crying out to God for help. “I tried to encourage her to keep going, we were almost there! It was as if time had stood still no matter how much faster I drove. It was the longest ten minutes of my life, where it felt like my whole world was going to crash and I had no control over it.” Amayah-Grace had passed away.

Never doubting God
“We eventually got to the ER. While Gareth went to park the car, he just sat for a few minutes crying, with Joash looking at him.” Then, Amayah-Grace started to breathe again! She was alive! This horrible experience has made them think, feel, see, and experience the life of their kids in a deeper way. It never occurred to them to question God throughout this ordeal. “Our faith was tested; our resolve in Christ was put to the test… We knew their names were from God, so their lives were and will always be protected with His mighty hand.” Today the babies are in perfect health.

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Date published: 30/08/2023
Feature image: LEFT: Grizell and Gareth Goliath. TOP RIGHT: Joash – young prayer warrior. INSERT: Amayah-Grace (left) & Emsleigh (right)
SOPHIA ROMAN – pioneer, visionary and life transformation coach. Sophia and her husband, Theo, pastor the West Reach AOG Church in Mitchells Plain.

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