On Super Bowl Sunday, LifeNews.com posted this incredible caption and photo:
Seattle Seahawks LB Derick Hall was born at 23 weeks.
He had no heartbeat and doctors gave him a 1% chance of survival.
But his mom refused to take him off life support.
Today he’s playing in the Super Bowl.
Wow. The New York Post reported that when Derick lifted the Lombardi Trophy, it weighed more than twice what he did at birth!“ What it took for me to get here, what it took for me just to be alive and have a chance, all glory to God,” he said after the game. (See this video for more of Derick and his mom's story.)
Derick’s story reminds me of former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow, and how the doctors in the Philippines said he needed to be aborted or his mother would die, and if he did survive, he would always be very weak and sickly (as if that would disqualify him from having a right to live). As I shared in a blog back in 2012, of course, the doctors were completely wrong about both Tim and his mom! And that even if the doctor had been right about Tim’s prognosis, killing him by abortion would have been just as wrong, and just as tragic.
I enjoyed spending some time with Tim not too long ago at a conference. He and his wife Demi have a little girl of their own, and Tim is now a speaker, college football analyst, and best-selling author. He’s also the founder of the Tim Tebow Foundation, which serves people in over 100 countries through ministries focused on Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation, Orphan Care and Prevention, Profound Medical Needs, and Special Needs. Their desire is to share the Gospel with as many vulnerable people as possible to help them know their inherent value as children of God. Their Night to Shine program is a beautiful celebration of life for those who are often forgotten or marginalized:
Here’s a podcast Tim did with Sean McDowell, talking about his journey from NFL stardom to a life devoted to serving the most vulnerable people. He is the real deal, with a heart of gold:
