Monday, August 29, 2011 at 2:17am
Gabriel Michael Coy’s Story
May 3, 2003–August 21, 2011
Our son, Gabriel Michael Coy, was born on May 3, 2003. Gabe left this world on August 21, 2011, on Pam’s birthday—his rebirth into eternity with our Lord Jesus Christ in Heaven.
He was here for a season and was the toughest, sweetest, most loving, happiest kid in the world. The love, joy, and happiness that he gave were pure and selfless. He smiled and laughed through so much pain and suffering, and all who knew him are better for it. It was the best job, the best ministry, with more blessings than anyone could have ever dreamed of. We miss him dearly, but know we will see him again!
Gabe was prenatally diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. He began having heart surgeries within a day of his birth. Although Gabe couldn’t talk, he communicated well. He didn’t walk normally due to hip dysplasia and needed a wheelchair for any distance. Early on, he ate all of his meals through a G-tube, but improved dramatically, taking less than half his nourishment that way.
He had a rigorous medication and therapy schedule, and he saw various specialists and doctors on a frequent basis. All totaled, Gabe spent over 600 nights in the hospital. Pam spent all but a few of those nights with him, and he was her entire life for eight years.
After three major open-heart corrective surgeries, many dozens of heart catheterizations, many other procedures for other issues, and ultimately a heart transplant, Gabe was doing great. He started going to school, learning and growing, and we were concerned about his care beyond our lifetimes.
God called him home suddenly, breaking hearts that only God could mend.
We were so blessed to be his parents. Gabe was truly a living, breathing miracle. According to a friend from church who had a vision of Gabe in Heaven, Gabe says, “Jesus is way better than Mickey Mouse!”
We cannot even begin to properly express our deep gratitude and love to all of our friends and family who offered their prayers, love, tears, stories of Gabe, and support through this tough chapter in our lives. From our whole family—THANK YOU, and God bless all of you!
Having Gabe taught us how to love without limits. Losing Gabe taught us about God’s love. We didn’t know how much we could love until we lost Gabe and our hearts were ripped apart. It was at that moment that we realized how much it must hurt God when one of us rejects His Son Jesus.
If losing a child can break hearts so completely and cause so much pain—even knowing that the loss is but for a time for those who know Jesus—how much more must it break God’s heart to lose a soul for eternity by rejecting Jesus?
Pam says it best: God gives us free will, and this time on Earth is for the choosing. True love is when you choose to love. God loves us so much that He gives us the choice to choose Jesus freely and live with God in Heaven for eternity, or reject Jesus and spend eternity separated from God. The Bible calls it Hell.
We’ve lost Gabe, but only for a time, and we will see him again in Heaven. When God loses one of you, that loss is eternal. This life is but a vapor. Eternity is forever, and you can choose to live with God in Heaven or without God in Hell. The choice is yours, not God’s.
It doesn’t matter if you do not believe any of this. That does not change the Truth. Eternity is coming for all of us, one way or another, and we don’t know when.
If Gabe’s life can help just one more soul make a decision to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and spend eternity with God, then Amen! You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Seek God through His Son Jesus, and God will find you—it’s a promise from Heaven!
In just one small week, God gave our family peace, purpose, stronger and more meaningful relationships, and a deeper understanding of God’s love. By God’s grace, God gave us Gabe, then God took him away. All we can do is praise and love God even more. Gabe taught us so much!
Blessings in Christ Jesus!
