Zachariah decided to arrive in serious dramatic fashion on July 10th at 4:48 a.m.  At just 29 weeks, mom Erica, required an emergency C-section for the health and safety of both mom and baby.  Zachariah arrived weighing just 1 pound, 10 ounces and was 16 inches long.  He was quickly moved to the NICU. We asked for prayers on social media and the response was overwhelming – thank you!

As of the date of this post, Zachariah remains in the NICU, but is holding his own.  He continues to make positive strides and has gained a little bit of weight which is a great sign!  Because the hospital is a little over an hour away from Good Counsel Mary’s Shelter Gulf Coast, once Erica recovered from her C-section, she was able to get a room at the Ronald McDonald House on the hospital campus.  Erica is overjoyed that she can be with her baby boy as much as possible.

Staff members will continue to work with Erica and meet with her in Mobile on a weekly basis for case management until Zachariah can come home, making sure she stays on track with her goals for an independent life after she completes the program and moves on from Good Counsel.

Erica has expressed her immense gratitude for the prayers and support she has received from you.  We ask for your continued prayerful support for both Erica and Zachariah, who is the 1,075th baby born to the Good Counsel family.

Along with celebrating 1,075 (and counting!) babies, we also celebrate our ability to provide countless nights of shelter, thousands of Life Skills classes, and hundreds of hours counseling, guiding each mother as she journeys from despair to hope. We ask for your continued prayers for our dedicated staff and volunteers in 2017.