On Second Birthday, Mother Shares Story of Daughter’s Miraculous Birth

Expecting their third child, Chaya and Sruly Krinsky received devastating news at the 20-week ultrasound – their unborn child was missing a critical portion of her brain. Two years later, Chaya shared the amazing and miraculous story which began the life of a healthy baby girl who received a very special name.

The following story was written by Chaya Krinsky on her facebook page: (CrownHeights.info received permission to repost this story)

Two years ago we found out we were pregnant with our 3rd child and were elated. When we told our other 2 children they danced around the house singing, “We’re going to have a baby.”

At my twenty week ultrasound the joy was ripped from within us as we sat across a stone faced doctor who told us our seemingly boisterous baby, whose kicks were strong and steady, was missing a vital part of her brain. A condition that was so rare, she has only seen one other written report in her career on it.

Blindness and deafness, autism and uncontrollable seizures, huge developmental delays-each time she said another possible prognosis I cried. She performed a second 3-D ultrasound and confirmed her suspicion. Early the next morning I lay shaking on a table, as more doctors did a Fetal MRI. A few hours later we got the results-conclusive.

We were asked to see a Medical Psychologist who told us she had no pictures or stories for us, only grim medical reports and stats. She advised us to end the pregnancy immediately.

For weeks we cried, miserable that we had to make this choice. My OB gently handed me the name of a Rav, and told me she would do the same for her daughter. We obtained a kosher heter, and scheduled the procedure.

G-d has blessed my husband and I both with parents who are the strongest believers out there. My mother in law spent days getting the names of top fetal brain specialists, so we can get another opinion.

My own mother called every OB she knew in California to obtain any information she could on this condition.

Somehow, my fierce mother in law got us an appointment with Dr. Ilan Timor-Trisch, a world class neo-natal ultrasound specialist. Just a few days later, we sat in his office, miraculously pushed ahead of tens of other deserving patients, who had waited for their own appointments for weeks. We silently sat, shaking during an extensive scan with four different doctors in the room. They murmured and pointed, and we braced ourselves. The doctor turned to my husband and said “who performed the ultrasound? We see a beautiful, perfectly formed brain!”

We left the office with thanks to Hashem, not fully believing the change of events, Two weeks later they performed a second ultrasound and confirmed-the baby’s brain was perfect.

Only later did my husband tell me that at midnight the night before our first scan with Dr. Timor-Trisch, he tossed and turned in his bed and decided to pay a visit to the Ohel and his grandmother, Devorah Krinsky’s Kever.

His grandmother had been his everything – she had been a remarkable woman who was taken from the world much too early. He went to her graveside and cried and prayed. He told me that he suddenly felt a weight on his shoulders, as if his grandmother Devorah was telling him “It is going to be OK. Your baby will be OK.”. He said he felt suddenly free of any doubt-his baby was going to be OK. His grandmother was davening for our baby!

We obviously cancelled any procedures we had scheduled and with the help of Hashem awaited the birth of our baby, she arrived on a Shabbos morning at 10:30am, on the exact day of my strong, wonderful Grandmother Zelda’s Yartzeit, Chof Kislev, which is today. She arrived a week after Devora Krinsky’s first Yartzeit. Her two great grandmothers had stormed the heavens.

She arrived big and beautiful, after a seamless delivery-the largest and strongest of my children.

Prior to us leaving to the hospital, my father in law turned to me and told me he will remain home till exactly 10:40am. He said, “If the baby will be born by that time, the naming can still place at Shachris in the Rebbe’s room. Devora arrived into this world at exactly 10:40. A call was placed to my father in law’s answering machine and told him via machine that a healthy baby girl was born BH.

He had been standing at the door in his coat, about to leave for Shul. He then ran to the Rebbe’s room just in time to tell his father, Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, the great news and give him the honor of naming his great granddaughter. He did just that-and named her Devorah Krinsky. With just a few moments to spare, no one actually gotten a chance to tell him the name, but somehow he just knew what this miracle baby of ours should be named, Devorah-after his exceptional wife.

As I watch my daughter grow, and as I watch my older daughters enjoy every moment with their little sister, I know Hashem performed a miracle for our family.

I am sharing this story today, Chof Kislev, on Devora’s second birthday, to tell all the women out there one thing-get a second opinion. Not only because equipment could be faulty, or Doctor’s opinions could be wrong. No. Get a second opinion to give G-d TIME to perform a miracle for you.

Thank you Hashem and thank you Rebbe for the goodness and blessings you have bestowed upon my family!

22 Comments

  • Unbelievable

    Thank you
    Always get a Second opinion and have hope I had a Dr tell me that my baby would be born with a illness
    And after month’s of sleepless nights twisting and turning and not be able to think straight I have bh a beutiful fully healthy baby

  • Hindy Borenstein

    We also had an incident with Dr Ilan Timor. When I became pregnant with my youngest child, Chaya Mushka, his office could not find a baby or a heartbeat. They deduced that it was either a sac with no baby or an ectopic pregnancy ( as my hormone levels indicated a pregnancy) and wanted to plan a d&c. Then they called in dr. Timor and he looked and said lets wait another two weeks and see what happens. He said to wait two weeks and come back. Two weeks later Dr. Timor repeated the ultrasound and they found my little Chaya Mushka! It had simply been too early to detect her. I am forever grateful to the Ribono Shel Olom and Dr. Timor for my special little girl.

  • A More Correct Perspective

    I would say, get a SECIND OPINION in order to make an additiinal Keli for Brocha and Hatzlacha i.e., miracles in this particular case. Hashem does not need US to make TIME for Him. Hashem is above and beyond time and space/place. HASHEM wants OUR effort al pi derech hateva and our tefillos and Hashem then does the rest. May you always be blessed among and with Klal Yisroel.

    • MUCH MUCH NACHAS!

      I agree wholeheartedly with your comment and was actually thinking the very same thing! Farvos zohl men gayen krum ven men ken gayen glaych!? I am just wondering where that sort of thinking comes from? But, nevertheless… thank you for bravely sharing your miraculous story with us all. Nissim bai yidden and MOSHIACH NOW!!!!

  • Hindy Borenstein

    At the age of 42, after many years of repeated pregnancy losses, I B’h gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Eight months later, to our and our doctor’s shock, a pregnancy test confirmed that I was b”h pregnant again. I traveled to NYC where my doctor’s were for a checkup and was sent for a routine ultrasound. The ultrasound found no baby and no heartbeat and they diagnosed that I either had an ectopic pregnancy (which I had had once before) or a sac with no fetus. We were devastated and they were about to schedule a D & C. Dr. Ilan Timor was called in for a consultation and he repeated the ultrasound. He said I should come back in two weeks and perhaps it was too early to see a fetus. For two weeks we lived in agony and uncertainty. Two weeks later we went back to Dr. Timor and he found our little Chaya Mushka on the ultra sound. It was simply too early for the ultrasound to pick it up and yet who knows what could have been ch”v had he not come in and told us to come back. I am eternally grateful to the Ribono shel Olom and to the expertise of Dr. Timor for my dear Chaya Mushka, who just turned 12 years old ad meah v’esrim. My bubby used to say “With a big doctor goes a big malach (angel)”.

  • WOW

    I thank Hashem that I don’t accept routine ultrasounds… who knows how many hidden nissim I have had!

  • Choked with emotion

    Wow! Thank you for sharing! May she continue to grow healthy, strong full of life and live up to her great namesake.

  • Avoid Ultrasound

    Ultrasound only creates unnecessary worry. Obviously the first ultrasound was not properly done and caused unnecessary worry. This is just an example of the (all too common) incompetence on the part of an ultrasound provider. The only miracle is that she had the good sense to get a more competent opinion. Better to avoid ultrasound as much as possible for pregnancy.

    • Milhouse

      And the second ultrasound, and the MRI?! Do you think they were done improperly too?!

      Whatever the merits of avoiding ultrasound in general, in this case it seems to have helped, since without it they would not have known of the problem, and would not have been able to ask Hashem for the miracle. Would it have happened anyway? Who knows, but what makes you think so?

  • R.W.

    “Two years ago we found out we were pregnant with our 3rd child…”

    Hmnn…that in itself is no small miracle.

    • Milhouse

      What do you mean? That every pregnancy is a miracle? True, but why bring it up in this context?

  • Lived in Long Beach

    Dear Chaya,
    I have to say that your story brought me to tears, and having been a neighbor to your husband’s grandmother, I can attest to the truly fine, refined, lady that she was. All that being said, I think you forget that there is someone else in your life whose tefillos are not that poshut. I am sure that he davened for you and intervened up there too. A man with that level of ahavas yisroel is had to find today. Your father is someone that is so special, and wonderful, and I am sure your little Devorah is giving him the nachas he richly deserves for how many people he has helped and been there for.
    I know because I was witness.
    A Fan of Peretz Greenwald

  • Ella.F.

    Lots of Nachas from your little princess and of all your children.
    Thank you for sharing this story!

  • what i want to know is...

    did you go back to the original doctor and tell her the story? if so, what was her response?

  • Thank you for sharing!

    This story is beautiful! You should continue to have nachas from all of your children, till 120, with good health!

  • So inspirational

    So happy to read this monumental miracle.
    Your Bubbe Devorah obm, always attended our Pirkei Avos Shiurim.
    I missed her and her royalty this year.
    She was an exceptional caring and sweet regal lady.
    What a zchus to have your baby named after her.