Gloria’s Story: A Journey of Faith, Love, and Hope

Praise the Lord to everyone.

We are Rev. Kiran John Wesley and Nancy Wesley. By God’s grace, we have been blessed with two wonderful children—our son, Jason Andrew Wesley, and our precious daughter, Gloria Esther Wesley. Gloria was a beautiful gift from God who changed our lives forever. Her life was short, but her impact on us—and, we believe, on many others—will continue far beyond her time with us.

The Beginning of Our Journey

In 2021, we discovered that we were expecting our daughter. We remember that moment vividly. We held each other’s hands, overwhelmed with a mixture of joy, surprise, and uncertainty, and fell to our knees, praying and crying before God.

During that season, God gave us a vision. We saw someone trying to hold a baby, but their hands were covered in blood and were so slippery that the baby kept slipping away. The person repeatedly tried to hold and protect the baby but could not get a firm grip. The vision deeply moved and troubled us.

We continued with our regular medical appointments. At first, everything appeared normal. But eventually, the doctors could not detect our baby’s heartbeat. We were sent for additional testing and referred to a specialist for a detailed evaluation.

The doctors discovered that our baby had multiple and very complex heart problems. They explained that her heart could not be completely repaired and that her life would likely involve tremendous challenges. They could not tell us how long she might live or what her future would look like. They also explained that the pregnancy was extremely high-risk.

Eventually, a team of specialists advised us to terminate the pregnancy.

Choosing Faith

The doctors strongly encouraged us to terminate the pregnancy as soon as possible. We were overwhelmed. For an entire week, we sat outside the hospital crying, praying, and trying to understand what we should do.

During that same time, Nancy’s mother was battling stage-four cancer and was near the end of her life. We did not know whether she would live long enough to see our daughter born. We were facing two heartbreaking uncertainties at the same time—whether our baby would survive and whether Nancy’s mother would still be alive when she was born.

But we prayed together and made a decision.

We chose to trust God.

We decided to continue the pregnancy, protect our baby, and face whatever challenges came our way. We did not know what the future would hold, but we believed that God had a purpose for our daughter and that He would give us the strength to walk through whatever came next.

When we told the doctor that we had decided not to terminate the pregnancy, he acknowledged how difficult the decision had been. He told us that he believed we were serving a living God and that our faith was real.

As we left the hospital, we received another devastating call—Nancy’s mother had been admitted to the ICU. We were torn between our desire to be with her and our commitment to the decision we had made for our daughter.

We returned home determined to trust God completely.

Gloria Is Born

On November 14, Nancy’s mother passed away. Her final words were asking when Nancy would come to see her. It was an unimaginable loss.

Just one month later, on December 15, 2022, our daughter Gloria was born by C-section. She was immediately admitted to the NICU, where she remained for four months. Those months were incredibly difficult. We experienced fear, exhaustion, grief, and moments when we did not know whether our daughter would ever come home.

Every day, we walked through the hospital doors to see our baby fighting for her life.

After four long months, Gloria finally came home. She still needed surgery, an NG tube, and oxygen support. We had to learn how to care for her, and although we were afraid, we learned everything we could.

Life at home was difficult. Gloria would sometimes vomit her milk as many as nine times a day. Yet we tried not to focus on the difficulties. We focused on Gloria.

We loved her, held her, kissed her, played with her, and treasured every moment.

And slowly, our hearts began to experience joy again.

The First Miracle

A few months later, we noticed that Gloria’s lips and toes were turning blue. We rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors told us she needed major heart surgery immediately.

That night, we prayed.

Although we were afraid, we experienced a deep peace in our hearts. We trusted God with our little girl.

By God’s grace, the surgery was successful. Gloria’s heart was fully repaired. We knelt in the hospital and cried tears of gratitude, thanking God for His intervention.

Over the next two months, Gloria slowly regained her strength.

Then something beautiful happened.

We watched our little girl run, jump, dance, sing, laugh, and fill our home with life.

Those were some of the most precious months of our lives. We will never forget them. We remain forever grateful to God for giving us that time with our beautiful, strong, and precious daughter, Gloria.

Another Surgery

The doctors had explained that Gloria had a conduit in her heart that would eventually need to be replaced. They expected that after that procedure, she might not need another surgery for many years.

But during a routine check-up in August, doctors discovered that the conduit was narrowing. Gloria had also been born with extra muscle in her left ventricle, which was creating high pressure. After further testing, her doctors scheduled surgery for October 28.

We were emotionally devastated.

We had spent weeks crying and praying as we thought about another major surgery for our little girl.

Before the surgery, Nancy had a vision of Gloria sitting in a wheelchair, looking silently toward her. We did not understand the meaning of the vision. We simply prayed for Gloria’s strength and healing and asked God to give us grace for whatever lay ahead.

On the morning of surgery, Gloria was full of life. She was dancing, jumping, and laughing.

But when it was time to take her into the operating room, she clung to Nancy and cried, “Mom, I don’t want to sit here! I want to go to Dad!”

It was one of the most painful moments we had ever experienced.

We held her, kissed her, prayed with her, and reminded her how deeply we loved her. Then we watched as our little girl was taken into surgery.

The doctor had expected to replace the conduit and told us that we might be able to go home in about five days.

But everything changed.

The Battle Begins

We waited outside the operating room for hours. Eventually, the doctor came out and told us that Gloria had suffered a heart block. Her electrical signals had stopped, and the medical team was working desperately to bring her heart back.

That evening, Gloria was brought out with her chest still open. Her heart had no pulse and no electrical activity. The doctors could not tell us whether her heart would recover or whether her left ventricle would ever function normally again.

We were devastated.

Yet we continued to pray.

After several days, Gloria’s electrical signals began to return, and her left ventricle slowly began working again. We were filled with gratitude.

Then her kidneys began to fail, and doctors warned that she might need dialysis. Again, we prayed. Her kidneys eventually began functioning again, and we thanked God.

The doctors eventually believed Gloria was stable enough to come off ECMO. But after ECMO was removed, she developed a severe and persistent fever.

The doctors searched for answers.

Then, while returning from a CT scan, Gloria suddenly went into cardiac arrest.

The medical team performed CPR. She died and then came back.

She was immediately placed back on ECMO.

Watching our daughter go through this was almost more than we could bear.

Holding on to Hope

Further testing showed that Gloria’s left ventricle was not functioning properly. Blood was flowing backward rather than forward, creating additional complications.

The doctors told us that she needed another high-risk surgery.

We prayed again.

Before she went into surgery, we reminded her how much we loved her and encouraged her to be brave.

She came out of surgery with her chest open and remained in critical condition. Her infection markers were extremely high, and her lungs slowly began filling with fluid.

Eventually, the doctors were able to close her chest, and for a moment, we thought she was moving forward.

But then her lungs deteriorated severely.

The doctors placed her on an oxygenator, requiring another round of CPR. Her lungs continued to worsen, and eventually her right ventricle also began to fail.

For the third time, Gloria was placed on ECMO.

When We Thought We Had Lost Her

On December 16, Gloria suffered another cardiac arrest.

She underwent CPR for 26 minutes.

The doctors came out and told us they could not save our daughter.

We were told that Gloria had died.

We were completely broken.

But then, something happened that none of us could explain.

After nearly 40 minutes, Gloria’s heart began beating again.

The doctors were shocked.

They checked her brain and her eyes, and by God’s grace, everything was normal.

Twenty-four hours later, Gloria opened her eyes.

We asked her, “We love you, baby. Do you love us?”

She moved her head and responded.

We broke down in tears.

We felt as though God had given our daughter back to us.

Choosing the 10% Chance

But the battle was not over.

Gloria’s infection markers remained extremely high. The doctors could not move forward without another procedure to support her right ventricle.

This time, they gave us very difficult news.

They told us there was approximately a 90% chance Gloria would not survive the surgery and only a 10% chance that she would.

They gave us a choice.

We could allow her to remain as she was, or we could take the risk and attempt the surgery.

We looked at that 10% chance and saw hope.

We chose faith.

We told the doctors to proceed.

By God’s grace, the surgery went well. Gloria was now being supported on both sides of her heart, along with the oxygenator.

The doctors began discussing the possibility of a heart transplant. But her lungs were still too weak, and she was not stable enough for a transplant.

So we waited.

Day after day.

Prayer after prayer.

Hope after hope.

This season continued for nearly two months.

The Stroke and the Long Hospital Journey

A few days later, Gloria suffered a stroke. The doctors immediately performed an emergency procedure to remove the blockage. The right side of her body was affected.

During those two months, we were also separated from our son, Jason. He was struggling emotionally and physically because of everything our family was experiencing.

We realized that we needed to care for both of our children.

So we made a difficult decision.

Kiran stayed with Jason, while Nancy remained at the hospital with Gloria. We took turns, supported one another, and did everything we could to care for our family.

The Battle in Her Lungs

Gloria continued to fight.

Every day brought another challenge.

Her infection markers would rise and fall. Her lungs would improve and then worsen again. The doctors eventually planned a tracheostomy to provide better support, allow for physiotherapy, and hopefully help strengthen her lungs.

They continued searching for the cause of the infection markers. Although blood cultures were repeatedly normal, Gloria had a bacterial infection in her lungs.

Eventually, she began experiencing severe bleeding from her lungs.

It was heartbreaking to watch our daughter suffer.

Every day, we sat beside her, held her hands, prayed, cried, and pleaded with God.

We had no easy answers.

But we continued to hold on to Him.

The Final Days

About 20 days before the end of her journey, Gloria’s condition became even more critical.

Her lungs were severely damaged, and the machines supporting her were no longer working as they should.

The doctors discovered that both of her lungs were filled with blood, which was coming out through her mouth.

Just before this happened, Gloria had opened her eyes and was playing with us.

Then everything changed.

Seeing our daughter bleeding through the ventilator was one of the most painful experiences of our lives. We cried out to God, asking Him not to allow our baby to suffer anymore.

Gloria became extremely critical again.

By God’s grace, she recovered once more.

Her kidneys failed again, and doctors warned that she might need dialysis. We prayed, and once again, her kidneys recovered. Her infection markers improved, and for a brief moment, we felt relief.

But her left lung never fully recovered.

The doctors were preparing for the tracheostomy when they discovered something concerning and ordered another CT scan.

When the results came back, the doctors called us in.

They told us they were very sorry, but they could not continue with further treatment. Gloria’s left lung was completely damaged, and there was nothing more they could do.

Our world shattered.

The doctors told us that we could only wait.

Surrendering to God

In the middle of our deepest pain, we made a decision to worship.

We held Gloria’s hands and thanked God for the days He had given us with her.

We told her that her life would not be in vain.

We believed that God could use her story to bring hope, love, and blessing to other children and families.

We asked her, “We love you, baby. Do you love us?”

She said yes.

That moment will remain in our hearts forever.

We made a promise:

We would give our lives to helping other children. We would see Gloria in every child we serve.

Through Gloria, God taught us that our lives are not meant only for ourselves.

He taught us to serve.

He taught us to love.

He taught us to give.

And we made a commitment to live a life of giving, no matter the cost.

Faith in the Storm

Throughout Gloria’s journey, we found ourselves identifying with the mother in Matthew 15:22–28 who cried out to Jesus for her daughter.

We understood her desperation.

We became those parents crying out:

“Lord, please heal our daughter.”

We also remembered the mother in Mark 7:25–30 who fell at Jesus’ feet and pleaded for her child.

We fell at His feet too.

We prayed again and again:

“Lord, please do not leave us. Let Your presence remain with us. Without You, we cannot face this.”

There were moments when we felt like Peter walking on water. We tried to keep our eyes on Jesus, but the storm around us became overwhelming. At times, we felt ourselves sinking.

We cried.

We questioned.

We struggled.

But we always returned to Him.

Even when our faith was weak, we could not walk away from God. We needed Him. We loved Him. And we continued to hold on to Him.

Understanding the Vision

Throughout those months, we repeatedly remembered the vision of Gloria sitting in a wheelchair.

We did not understand it.

We prayed about it and even said, “Lord, if she comes home in a wheelchair, we will take care of her. We just want her home.”

Later, when the doctors told us that Gloria would not recover, we were talking about how much she loved going outside.

A doctor brought a wheelchair.

We were stunned.

We placed Gloria in the wheelchair and took her outside.

As we returned, we realized something profound:

God had already prepared our hearts for what was coming.

In that moment, we surrendered.

We said, “Lord, thank You—even for this pain. You have already planned everything. We accept Your will. We will carry this pain, and we will use it for Your glory.”

With tears in our eyes, we worshiped God and surrendered everything to Him while holding our precious daughter close.

Thank You, Gloria

Gloria, thank you for every precious moment you gave us.

Thank you for your morning hugs and kisses.

Thank you for eating food from our hands, praying with us, exercising with us, making roti with us, helping us clean, singing with us, and playing with us.

Thank you for wiping our tears.

Thank you for going outside with us.

Thank you for your incredible and unconditional love.

You brought so much joy into our hearts.

You were a beautiful singer, a joyful dancer, and a powerful little prayer warrior.

To us, you were the most beautiful baby in the world.

You were a precious gift from God, and we will forever be grateful that He entrusted you to us.

We love you, Gloria.

We always will.

From Our Family to Yours

We are deeply grateful to our family, our extended family, our church family, and everyone who walked with us through this journey.

We are especially thankful to the wonderful staff at Advocate Christ Hospital, Ronald McDonald House, the mothers we met, and every person who supported us with love, prayer, encouragement, and care.

You became our family.

You stood with us when we were afraid.

You prayed with us when we had no words.

You encouraged us when we were exhausted.

And you loved our daughter.

For that, we will always be grateful.

Gloria’s Legacy

We once thought that our journey would end with Gloria.

But we now believe that her story is only the beginning of something greater.

For months, we sat beside Gloria’s bed, held her hands, prayed over her, and sang to her. Those moments will remain with us forever.

Gloria taught us that every life has value.

She taught us that love can exist in the middle of unimaginable pain.

She taught us that faith does not mean we will always understand what God is doing. Sometimes faith means continuing to trust Him when we cannot see the road ahead.

And she taught us that what we experience can become a source of blessing for others.

We promised Gloria that we would see her in every child we serve.

That promise has become part of our calling.

We want Gloria’s life to continue bringing hope to children and families who are facing difficult circumstances. We want to stand beside parents who feel alone, encourage families who are hurting, and extend compassion to children who need help.

Our daughter may no longer be physically with us, but the love she gave us continues to live in our hearts.

Her story continues through every act of love.

Every prayer.

Every child helped.

Every family encouraged.

Every life touched.

Our Prayer

Our prayer is that Gloria’s story will remind every family who reads it that they are not alone.

When the road is difficult, may you find strength.

When the future is uncertain, may you find hope.

When you are hurting, may you experience God’s presence.

And when you have received comfort, may you be inspired to comfort someone else.

We do not know what tomorrow holds.

But we know the One who holds tomorrow.

And we choose to continue walking by faith,
For the glory of God.

From Pain to Purpose: The Birth of Gloria Wesley International

As we walked through this journey with Gloria, God began to place a new vision in our hearts.

We realized that the pain we experienced could not simply end with us. God was teaching us through Gloria’s life that every child matters, every family matters, and every opportunity to show compassion can become a testimony of His love.

After everything we experienced, we began praying about how we could turn our pain into purpose and use Gloria’s story to help other children and families facing difficult circumstances.

God gave us a vision to establish a foundation in honor and memory of our daughter, Gloria Wesley International (GWI).

Gloria Wesley International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to carry forward the love, compassion, and hope that Gloria brought into our lives.

Our desire is to serve children and families who are facing medical challenges, financial difficulties, and other difficult circumstances. We want to come alongside families, provide practical assistance, offer prayer and encouragement, and remind them that they are not alone.

We believe Gloria’s life was a gift from God, and we want her legacy to continue through the lives of others.

What began with tears has become a mission of compassion.
What began with pain has become a purpose.
What began with one precious child has become a vision to help many children.

We promised Gloria that we would see her in every child we serve.

Today, that promise continues through Gloria Wesley International.

Our prayer is that God will use this foundation to bring hope to hurting families, help children in need, and demonstrate the love of Christ through practical acts of compassion.

We do not want Gloria’s story to be remembered only because of how difficult her journey was.

We want her story to be remembered because of the love she gave, the faith she inspired, and the lives that will be touched through her legacy.

Gloria’s life was a gift.
Gloria’s story is our testimony.
Gloria’s legacy is our mission.

And we dedicate this journey to God, trusting Him to use Gloria’s life for His glory.