Being born prematurely has not kept 7-year-old Gabrielle Johnson of Sioux Falls, S.D., from growing up as an example of God’s miraculous love.

Chad Phillips / Great Plains Photography (From left) Jeremiah, Gabrielle, Zoe and Rachel Johnson of Sioux Falls, S.D., give testimony to God’s faithfulness and generous healing seven years after Gabrielle was born prematurely.

But Gabrielle was born prematurely, which caused a lot of concern for her parents, Jeremiah and Rachel Johnson.

“Going through a premature birth showed me that I was the one who needed love and prayer,” said Jeremiah. “These are the things I would typically do for others as an Assembly of God pastor. Our lives were turned upside down.”

“Besides having our new premature baby, we had a 13-month-old,” Rachel said. “For many days we lived in The Rainbow House in Omaha, Neb. One child at home and one child in the hospital made life difficult. The whole process taught us again to trust in God.”

Baby Gabrielle came into the world on Dec. 27, 2003. She weighed only 3 pounds and 3 ounces.

Rachel had been feeling good with a normal pregnancy at 29 weeks. But while visiting relatives over Christmas, she got up one morning and noticed spotting. They called the doctor and headed to the St. Francis Memorial Hospital in West Point, Neb. They wanted to make sure everything was all right.

Shortly after the Johnsons arrived, Rachel’s water broke. The doctor decided they should transfer to an Omaha hospital that was better equipped to care for a premature child. They were flown to Omaha by Life Flight, and Rachel received a blood transfusion on the way. In Omaha, a Caesarean section was performed and Gabrielle was born.

The baby being born at only 29 weeks caused many questions for the Johnsons. Will Gabrielle be handicapped? Will she be OK? What is this going to cost? Will Jeremiah have to go back to California for his pastoral duties?

Gabrielle spent many days in the neonatal intensive care unit. Rachel and Jeremiah went back and forth between Gabrielle in the hospital and caring for 1-year-old Zoe. They wanted to be with both children. It was very difficult.

“At 3 weeks, Gabrielle could get off the ventilator. We called everyone to pray for her, including ‘The 700 Club’ on TV,” Rachel said. “A short time later, Gabrielle pulled out the ventilator herself and was able to breathe without it. She was 32 days old and knew what she liked even then.”

Fifty days after her birth, Gabrielle weighed 5 pounds and 8 ounces. After many struggles, she was released from the hospital on Feb. 16, 2004. Just to make sure everything was going OK, the family waited to go home to Susanville, Calif., until Feb. 20.
       

While on the plane to California, Gabrielle quit breathing. Medical personal who were on the plane came forward to begin CPR on the baby and helped her start breathing again.

Many roads have been traveled on the way to Gabrielle growing into a healthy 7-year-old. It was a big learning experience for the whole family.

For the past four years, Jeremiah has been the worship and young adult pastor at Assembly of God Church in Sioux Falls, S.D. Rachel is also an ordained Assembly of God pastor, but she chooses to homeschool the girls.

“We thank God each day for His goodness. Life could always be worse,” Jeremiah said. “Tragedies are some of the greatest ways to respond to God. Being a pastor, we see many people go through tragedies. But God will meet us and show Himself to us. We don’t deserve it, but His grace is
sufficient.”

As a child, Jeremiah grew up as a Catholic but did not really have a belief system. When he was in fourth grade, his parents divorced. He lived with his dad. He felt confused and angry, and his growing-up years were difficult. When he was a senior in high school, a friend invited him to an Assembly of God youth group.      

Rachel had just finished Bible college and was on staff at the church. She also talked to Jeremiah. He ended up attending North Central University (Minneapolis, Minn.). While there, God spoke to him and his life has never been the same. He graduated in 2001.

Rachel grew up in a Christian home in Omaha, Neb., and also graduated from North Central University. She and Jeremiah were married in 1999.

When Gabrielle was 1 year old, Rachel wrote a book, “Gabrielle’s Journey,” and “The 700 Club” featured her story on Dec. 24.  

“God gave us a story to minister to others,” Rachel said. “Years after her birth, God continues to use Gabrielle’s story to help others and bring them closer to Him.”          

The Johnson family is grateful for the miracle of Gabrielle’s life. She continues to grow without any medical problems. She does well in school and loves life.