December 23rd. It seems like such an ordinary day. It's the day before Christmas Eve and two days before Christmas Day. For all practical purposes it is really just another day. I once heard December 23rd referred to as Christmas Adam. Why Christmas Adam? Because Adam came before Eve. So if Christmas Eve is December 24th, then the day before must be Christmas Adam. I have no idea who came up with this. Since my son's name is Adam, I think its cute.
Christmas Adam became a very special day three years ago. It started out as a very scary day. My step sister Amber was pregnant with twins. She was just 31 weeks and had a really bad cold. During a really bad coughing fit her water broke. The precious boys were in danger. She lived quite a way from a hospital that had a NICU that could handle such tiny tiny babies. Fortunately they were able to get her to a hospital in Indianapolis with a NICU before she had the boys. The boys were born very tiny. One three pounds and one tiny little peewee right around a pound (sorry I don't have the exact info) This was our very first Christmas Adam miracles. Those tiny little guys were born fighters. Today they are adorable three year old toddlers.
Yesterday was another Christmas Adam. December 23rd rolled around. Rumors were flying that this was going to be a tremendous day for a certain group of people. This group of people have been waiting for a miracle for a very long time. 2016 has been a banner year for the families of people with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Research has come a long way and a treatment for SMA had been submitted to the FDA. Everyone was pretty sure that it was going to be approved for children with Type 1 SMA. The research had proven that giving these kids, who frequently die within months of birth, this new drug was life changing for them. The disease was being halted and many have made miraculous recoveries. We just weren't sure if the FDA planned to approve the new treatment for all types of SMA. There had been research to show benefits in other types of SMA, but would the FDA still approve it across the board. All day long Friday, I kept checking Facebook, waiting for the announcement from Biogen that the new drug Spinraza had gotten FDA approval. Every time I looked, nothing. Finally as I sat down at church to enjoy the Christmas service, I checked Facebook one last time. I try not to mess around on my phone at church. God deserves all of me. I quickly opened Facebook and there it was! Spinraza approved for all types of SMA. I quietly screamed YES! My husband glared at me and I showed him the screen. The lights dimmed and tears fell from my eyes. All I wanted for Christmas was Spinraza to be approved. Now, every baby's family diagnosed with this horrible condition won't have to hear, "there is nothing we can do, take your baby home and wait for it to die". There is now a treatment, a hope, a future.
Christmas Adam is a day for miracles. Every family affected by SMA in the United States received the one gift they really wanted. Hope for their child. A treatment, a future.
Today, is Christmas Eve. A day of preparation and celebration for Christmas. People will gather with their families and there will be excitement and anticipation. Tomorrow Christmas will come. The celebration of another long awaited miracle. The birth of a tiny baby, born in a stable. The Christ, The Savior, The Messiah, the hope for all of humanity came. He came wrapped in rags, lying in a feed trough. Welcome Jesus, the first Christmas miracle.
Its only right that Christmas Day is reserved for the miracle of Christ's birth. But 2000 plus years later, on December 23rd, another day of miracles has come.
