Precerpt from Raising God's Rainbow Makers: Doah's Battle for Breath (Mahlou)

 

Precerpt from Raising God’s Rainbow Makers (Mahlou)

I’ve always been a sound sleeper. Earthquakes, mortar fire, even sick children standing beside the bed—I slept through it all. But when Doah was born, everything changed. He had apnea attacks, day and night, and for the first six months of his life, there were no monitors leased to homes. No alarms. No backup. Just me.

He slept beside me in bed, and every time he stopped breathing, I woke up. Instantly. No sound, no motion—just absence. My body registered the silence and responded before thought could catch up. I gave him CPR more times than I can count. I didn’t sleep lightly. I slept attuned. That’s the only word for it.

That winter, there were eleven children in Pittsburgh with tracheotomies. Nine of them died. Only a ten-year-old and Doah survived. I believe he lived because of proximity—because my body recalibrated to his breath, because he was beside me, and because I refused to surrender to institutional neglect.

I founded the Western Pennsylvania Apnea Association during that time, for other parents like me—parents without monitors, without protocols, just breath-by-breath vigilance. We disbanded after the ninth child died. There was nothing left to organize. Just grief, and two survivors.

I think God wanted his rainbow maker to grow up and start painting the world around him colorfully. And he does. 

Book Description:

A Family Memoir of Grace, Grit, and Growing Up Different

What happens when a military family welcomes four children—each with wildly different needs—into a world not always built to support them?

In Raising God’s Rainbow Makers, one mother shares the remarkable journey of raising two children with complex disabilities—one with spina bifida, one with CHARGE Syndrome—and two intellectually gifted children, all born in different states during years of military life. Through medical crises, educational challenges, and societal roadblocks (both intentional and unintentional), this honest and inspiring memoir tells the story of how one family built a life of strength, compassion, and resilience.

With warmth and unflinching honesty, the author reflects on emergency surgeries, IEP battles, unexpected victories, and the fierce sibling bonds that formed in the face of it all. The children—now grown—bear witness to the power of support, faith, and never giving up.

This is not just a story of survival. It is a celebration of difference, a chronicle of hope, and a powerful testament to what love and determination can build when the world says "impossible." 

Keywords:

Parenting memoir; Special needs parenting; Raising children with disabilities; Military family life; Family resilience; Inspirational family story; Faith-based memoir; Coping with medical challenges; Sibling support stories; Gifted children; Spina bifida; CHARGE Syndrome; Hydrocephalus; Congenital disabilities; Complex medical needs; Pediatric neurosurgery; IEP and special education; Gifted education; Educational advocacy; Inclusive education; Hope and healing; Courage and strength; Love and perseverance; Raising different children; Disability acceptance; Parenting through adversity; Overcoming barriers; Finding joy in hardship; Special needs journey; Family unity and support; For parents of disabled children; For parents of gifted children; For educators and therapists; Christian parenting memoir; For families facing rare diagnoses; Real-life parenting stories; Memoirs about raising children; Stories of medical miracles

 

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