Jacob Zoay Marquez

May 28, 2008 - June 9, 2008
12 days

Jacob was born around 10:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 28, 2008
He was 4 lb, 13 oz, and 18 inches long.
 

Our precious baby Jake has gone to play with Jesus. We had twelve unforgettable days with him that we will cherish forever. As you can see in the picture, he was absolutely beautiful. He passed this morning at 10:20 in the arms of his Mom and Dad in the comfort of his home. It was peaceful and our prayers were answered in that he did not suffer. Although most of you never got to meet baby Jake, he has touched so many lives. We know he was put here for a reason and want his name to live on forever.

We understand that we may never know why Jake was placed into our lives and that his whole reason for existing may have nothing to do with us. We were blessed to have doctors, nurses, and hospital staff that were simply amazing in terms of support and compassion. Jake amazed doctors by living for days when they said minutes while respecting our wishes in terms of care. The nurses gave Sandy and I the peace of mind to sleep for a few hours while Jake was in the NICU by treating him like their own (most of them cried when we took him off the vent).

The staff allowed us to stay in Sandy's room three days after her discharge so that we could be close to our little angel. We want to show our appreciation and gratitude to this wonderful hospital where all the baby's in OK go with Trisomy 13/18. This will allow Jake's name and life to give back to those in desperate need when faced with such a grave situation. We ask that no flowers be sent and that donations be made in Jake's name. Sandy and I will have the opportunity to decide exactly where the money is used in support of the hospital. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts. We are planning a service for this Wednesday in Lawton.

Love,

Chris, Sandy, and Baby Jake Marquez

If you wish to make a donation, please send it to:

Children's Hospital Volunteers
ATTN: Jacob Marquez Fund
1200 Everett Dr.
Box 71
Oklahoma City, OK 73104

On your check or money order, and on any note you wish to include, please indicate in the memo that the donation is for Jacob Marquez's account.

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Update 5-22-08

On Saturday, May 17th, we had a get together in honor of Baby Jake Marquez. It was absolutely awesome and something I will cherish always. 4D pictures were put together in a collage so that everyone could see just how beautiful Jake is.

Jake's Gemma Bear and Kylie Sheffield's, 'Not Compatible with Life, A Diary of Keeping Daniel,' was on display so guests could see some of the wonderful support my family and I have received since the diagnosis.

We had around 30 family and friends that came to show their love and support. My house was packed. We had such a great time. It's amazing to see just how many lives Jake has touched. I'm so very honored to be his mommy.

SANDY MARQUEZ  sanmarquez@msn.com
 

4-27-08

Hello,
We are Chris and Sandy Marquez. We live in Lawton, Oklahoma. Chris is a career U.S. Army Officer and I am an elementary school teacher. We had tried for years to conceive and finally became successful through IVF.

We are currently 33 weeks along with a precious baby boy named Jacob Zoay Marquez. He is the love of our lives. On February 20th, at 23 weeks, we found out that our Jake had Full Trisomy 13 through a level II ultrasound. What was Trisomy 13? I had never heard of this. We were absolutely devastated to say the least.

I immediately quit my 3rd grade teaching position and for the next 1 1/2 months stayed barricaded in our house trying to understand, cope, and deal with what was happening. I felt as if every aspect of my life was being tested.....especially my faith. My heart was broken.

Our OB specialist gave us the option to induce labor stating that Jake's condition was 'incompatible with life.' We immediately began researching this syndrome and was somewhat comforted with hope and encouragement through some of the websites we visited. The next day we informed our doctor that we would carry Jake full term..........The next several weeks seemed nothing more than a blur.

Because our hospital was not equipped with a NICU we were sent to another specialist in OKC (90 miles north of Lawton) at 29 weeks. This doctor was extremely negative with no compassion, no optimism. We left feeling hopeless and in complete despair. At this point, Jake was diagnosed with VSD, ASD, and holoproencephaly with Dandy Walker malformation.

On Wednesday April 23rd we were anticipating another horrible doctor's appointment and were blessed, through the power of prayer, with a new specialist that would take over Jake's care. Dr. Goodman was just wonderful. She was very realistic and laid out all the pros and cons of Jake's prognosis.

She was able to set up a tour of the hospital and we had the opportunity to speak to the neonatologist who would evaluate Jake once he was born. She was wonderful as well and told us she would do everything in her power to help us.

We have scheduled a C-Section on June 11th. His actual due date is June 18th. We can't wait to meet and love him. He's been such a wonderful blessing to Chris and I and has already taught us so much about love and life.

Currently, we are trying to cope the best way we know how. We have many down days but know that God is going to carry us through this. We don't regret any decisions we have made so far. We know that God has given us this special boy for a reason. We pray that God will lend him to us for a very long time.

Please pray for us and especially Jake.
Chris, Sandy, and Baby Jake

SANDY MARQUEZ  sanmarquez@msn.com