Joy filled the day Nathan Johnson welcomed his baby girl, Eilee, followed sharply by heartache. The Christian musician's wife died only hours after a seemingly easy delivery. And now, Nathan leans on his faith and support from friends and family to carry him through this difficult time.
“She had her yearly checkups and the doctors said you’re all good to get pregnant,” Josh Wilson, good friend and bandmate, said. “They monitored her very closely throughout the entire pregnancy and delivery and after. She had some wonderful doctors.”While doctors have not yet figured why the Christian musician's wife died, they say it has nothing to do with her heart. No matter the cause, the sudden and unexpected loss left Nathan in a whirlwind of emotions.
“Of course his baby girl is a wonderful gift, so there is a lot of joy," Josh explained, "but then there is the deepest kind of sorrow because of Megan.”RELATED: Woman Opens Up About Losing Husband Days After Their Son Is Born Believing in Christ doesn't ensure a life free of trials. But it does provide a source of comfort and strength even in the darkest hour.
“We Christians grieve with hope,” Josh said. “We’ll see her again. We still grieve. It’s not easy, but the hope that we have is so important to this whole situation.”
"This page has been live for less than 24 hours. You all have raised a quarter of a million dollars. I can't quit crying. Nathan and Eilee, we love you. Meg, we miss you," Josh wrote in an update on the page.Josh then raised the goal from the initial $40,000 to $400,000, saying "We're sending this girl to college." And again, through God's goodness, donations exceeded the goal!
"Lots of tears, stories and laughter," Josh said. "At the end, baby Eilee was dedicated to Jesus in front of us all. Wonderful way to end everything.”Though Megan is gone from this world, her love will live on in her precious baby girl. And as an avid organ donor, Megan will bring hope and life to other heartbroken families. RELATED: Brave Mom Opts To Carry Baby Without A Brain To Full-Term In Order To Donate Organs We'll certainly be praying for Nathan during this difficult time. But it's clear God has already surrounded him with blessings to carry him through his grief.
“My wife learned that her name means ‘sunshine,’" Josh said of little Eilee. "Nate didn’t know that. He loved hearing it yesterday. She’s definitely a light in this dark time. He’s already taking such great care of her. Typical new parent. Worried all the time, just like most of us are when we have our first kids.”