I saw a meme a while ago that made me ponder the existence of miracles. The meme said something like how can you not believe in miracles when you live on a spinning rock, that circles a ball of fire in an endless galaxy of billions of planets… I mean I get how that could be some kind of miracle, but it doesn’t really hit home for me.
What does, however, is the story I’m about to tell you, about little Selena-Gia and her incredible parents who just never stopped believing in their miracle. So, here we go.
Once upon a time, in a not-so-far away land in the realm of Kayla (read Kuilsriver) a young boy and a young girl lived in the same neighbourhood, went to the same primary and high school, and eventually graduated and embarked on separate fields of study, without ever being aware of each other except in a “I’ve seen you around” kinda way.
The girl worked hard and her journey into a womanhood was punctuated by a Batchelor’s Degree she acquired in Bio Medical Science. The boy applied his natural inclination to create stuff by getting himself a degree in Electrical Engineering.
Fate would entwine their journey and the boy, now a handsome young man, went down on one knee and asked the beautiful young woman to be his bride. And all in the land was overcome with love and joy for the happy couple. Ja wag man, ek is besig om die story te skryf die dag voor Valentine’s Day, so cut me some slack.
So here is where the story takes a twist (insert dramatic music here). Five years ago, Ilse and Adrian Visser’s story followed the fairytale script when she discovered she was pregnant.
And five years ago, the spinning planet was reeling from the effects of the deadly Covid Virus.
Gestational Medical Conditions
It soon became clear that Ilse’s pregnancy would be anything but straightforward. She developed a condition called Gestational Diabetes which affects about 15% of women globally. However, combined with the Gestational Hypertension she also developed, a condition which happens in about 10% of pregnancies worldwide, her life was seriously at risk. So, it was no surprise that the baby arrived prematurely at about 27 weeks.
I asked Adrian how he coped with the possibility that, at that point, he might have lost his wife and child. “I think I just switched to auto-pilot mode and somehow we made it through.”
And they all lived happily ever after. Vluit, vluit my sto…
No, no, no, here comes the good part. See, the baby was named Selena Gia and according to my good friend Dr Google AI, Selena is Greek for moon or moon goddess, and Gia is Italian and means God is Gracious.
“It is during moments like these, when your family values and the support of your family and the community make a massive difference,” says Ilse.
“We are both blessed with supportive parents and extended families, and I honestly believe that, these values and way of life, coupled with our unwavering faith, is the reason why we are here.”
Look up the bible verse referenced in the pic and you’ll learn some more.
Not Everybody Made It
Adrian says not everybody made it. “I have former friends and classmates who grew up around me and went to school with me who did not have that kind of support. They basically never even had a chance, because their parents were struggling with alcohol addiction and that was the default setting for them in times of strife. This is why I believe parenting is THEE most important job a person can have, it affects us all and shapes our communities one way or another.”
While I’m chatting to her parents, Selena-Gia zips around the lounge, sometimes hopping onto her bike to do a lap or two in the huge double garage, or stopping for a bit of playtime in the toy-filled courtyard – definitive evidence dat say nou vris en gesond is.
The Vissers now live in a lovely neighbourhood in Brackenfell, described by my buddy Dr G as a rapidly growing, family-oriented residential suburb in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs.
The couple, both in their early thirties, worked exceptionally hard to achieve the lifestyle they now enjoy. “Our degrees did not come easy or in a straight line, there were many twists and turns before we achieved our goals, but our biggest achievement is Selena-Gia.
Adrian’s job as a designer, maker and maintenance provider of machines in the food packaging industry has seen him travel to North America, Asia, Europe, the UK and Egypt, such is the demand for his skill. Ilse though has struggled to find work that aligns with her qualifications.
Their outlook on the future is filled with new goals and dreams, which, predictably, has at its centre, a little moon goddess filled with God’s graciousness. #BYOH
