Manitoba worship artist's wife and baby survive traumatic ordeal

A Made in Manitoba worship artist is praising God after a traumatic delivery that put his wife and baby at risk. 

"My wife and I have been trying to recall all the events that happened in the last week and a half," says Nathan Keys. "On Sunday, May 19, my wife went into labour. We had complications with our first child and she had an emergency c-section."

The couple went to the hospital to check things out. Key's wife, Cathleen, wasn't far enough along to admit her so they sent the couple back home. Within 12 hours they were back in the hospital and admitted. 

"Monday morning the nurses couldn't get a good reading on our baby's heart rate. They noticed her heart rate was dropping significantly. They quickly told us, 'You're going to the OR.' They took her on a stretcher and told me to wait and they would come get me when they were ready."

That's when Keys started to fervently pray, for the health and life of his wife as well as their new baby. 

"I texted our parents that Cathleen was going into the OR and to please pray. Our baby girl was born nine minutes after they wheeled my wife in for surgery, so they acted extremely fast. Waiting for them, really all I could do was pray. I said, 'God you've done this before, please do it again. Save my wife and save our child.'"

A doctor came and told Keys that his wife lost a lot of blood. He also shared that their baby daughter was born with a weak heartbeat and she wasn't breathing. 

"They started doing chest compressions and put a breathing tube into her. Within an hour they took the tube out and she was breathing on her own just fine."

By the time Keys saw his newborn daughter Addison Marie for the first time, he was breathing fast and thanking God that He saved his wife and child. 

"[God] He was faithful and heard our cry. It was just incredible to hold her little hand as they were running tests. I was so thankful to the doctors and nurses."

After six days in the hospital, the couple took their daughter home where mom and baby are doing well. Addison's new big brother, Joshua is thrilled to have a sister.