What's in a name?

Remember our name post from a while back?

We were trying to decide on a good name for our new baby, which we now know is a little BOY. The first name needs to be a good, strong Biblical name - like Caleb or Jacob. The middle name also needs to be a cool name, and it should honor someone special in the our lives. With the boys, Jacob ALAN honors my dad, and Caleb LUKE honors my mom's side of the family (Luke is her maiden name, but also works as a cool middle name too.)

Soooo.... **drum roll, please**.... For our new baby boy, we like the name:

Gabriel "Gabe" Elisha Seastrunk

Gabriel means "Champion of God." Gabriel is the name of the angel who appears to Mary to give her the news of her pregnancy and the impending birth of the Messiah.

Gabe is just a good, boyish name. We kind of think "Gabe Seastrunk" sounds like a good baseball player name! (Of course, if little Gabe doesn't want to play baseball, but rather get into music, drama, another sport, chess, whatever, we are down with that too.)

Elisha means "God is my help." Elisha was the disciple and successor of the prophet, Elijah. Elisha himself was a prophet who performed many miracles, including the resurrection of the dead. Elisha is also a dear little friend of ours.

In the Summer of 2001, Elisha was one of my patients while I was working as a Nurse Extern at Children's Medical Center of Dallas. He then had a rare blood disease - Wiskott Aldrich Syndrome. The treatment for this terrible disease called for a bone marrow transplant. Since he and his mother were "confined" to the walls of the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit in isolation for several months, I saw them everyday I was "on duty" for quite a while (and a few days when I was off, as Mary and I hung out a few times outside of the hospital).


(Elisha just prior to his Bone Marrow Transplant.)


(Elisha and I during the Summer of 2001 - a few weeks post-transplant.)

Being before the days of HIPPA and the fact that his mother, Mary, and I had a great connection, we all kept in touch over the years. In fact, Mary and Elisha were two of my first friends that I introduced Jon to at Hillcrest Church. Jon spent plenty of time during the Sunday night services chasing Elisha around the large room used for the non-traditional young adult service.


(Elisha and I "on a date" to see the Veggie Tales movie in 2002.)


Elisha battled hard in his life on Earth over the years. He developed acute (which progressed into chronic) Graft versus Host Disease (GVHD) due to the transplant. He has brought much joy to the world and to everyone who has had the honor of having their life's path cross his.

Unfortunately his battle on Earth came to an end February 4, 2006, however he became completely healed in Heaven, and God definitely got one more cool little angel. We can't wait to see him free from pain, without the need to take medications, and able to run (and have long beautiful hair!) there someday.


(2006 - not long before Elisha was completely healed.)

A year later, we had no idea that two precious boys would be brought into our lives! When I found out my due date, I knew that twins usually arrive a few weeks early, and thought that it would be "a little weird" if they arrived on the one year anniversary date of Elisha's arrival to Heaven. Well, when we found out that I had to have a scheduled c-section, I knew that would be out of the question, since the 4th was on a Sunday. My doctor set the date for February 5th.

Then my blood pressure began to go bonkers on the night of the 3rd, which landed me in the hospital with HELLP Syndrome on the 4th. Most of you know the story from there, but for those who don't:

IMMEDIATELY upon seeing my basic symptoms at the hospital - extremely high blood pressure (which was completely normal 4 days prior), 3+ protein in my urine (again - was ZERO 4 days prior!), and exaggerated reflexes (now at the point of complete clonus!) - they QUICKLY started me on Magnesium Sulfate and then had to do an immediate, emergent c-section. Thus, my boys were in fact born on February 4, 2007.

The birth of Jacob and Caleb and my survival of HELLP Syndrome on that particular day was yet another reminder that February 4th is a day of LIFE - not death. Our little buddy Elisha Henderson is ALIVE and well in his new body in Heaven.

So, that's the story of our little buddy. We miss him, but are so glad to honor his life through our newest little son - Gabriel Elisha Seastrunk.

What a bittersweet post! hehehe But seriously, this is all REALLY HAPPY NEWS!!