Emily’s Story: Saved for This World

When my daughter Emily was in second grade, our world turned upside down.

She was hospitalized for six weeks at Children’s with a rare and terrifying illness called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS), caused by E. coli. It started with bloody diarrhea, weakness, and what looked like a simple stomach bug. But internally, her kidneys were clotting, her blood cells were being destroyed, and eventually her kidneys began to shut down.

Then came the seizure.

Emily’s body was functioning, but her brain was not. Doctors were close to declaring her brain dead. And then, through the prayers requested at mass by our priest, Father Jason Cargo, prayers were lifted for Emily—and within five minutes, she came back to us. Alive. Awake. Present.

She is now a perfectly healthy 11-year-old girl. You’d never know, other than her annual check-ups, that she was once so close to leaving us.

But the truth is, Emily is not a “typical” 11-year-old. She knows her story. We’ve told it to her. She understands, in her heart, that Jesus saved her for this world, and she lives like it.

When she left the hospital in second grade, she begged me to go back to school the very next day. I agreed, on the condition that she’d call me if she needed to. She lasted half a day before exhaustion took over, but by Monday she was back again. Her determination was unbelievable.

Still, going back was hard. Everyone at school knew what she’d been through. My perception is that she was bombarded: overwhelmed with attention, questions, and the weight of being “the girl who had been so sick.” It changed her. She grew shy, a little more reserved, less open around the other kids.

By third grade, friendships were a struggle. Her teacher, a wise woman who had also taught my older son, told me: “I think Emily matured so much through her experience that she’s having trouble relating to the other kids. They’re still doing ‘kid stuff,’ and she’s just… beyond that.”

And that’s true. She has always had a few close friends, but she’s never sought out popularity or tried to be the social butterfly. Instead, she takes pride in her schoolwork, she keeps her head down, and she loves the Lord deeply.

Now that she’s in sixth grade, I see how different she is from the stereotypical tween girl. She loves her friends, of course, but she isn’t swayed by popularity, groupthink, or drama in the same way. She has her own compass, her own anchor.

As her mom, I think it’s beautiful. These years, 11 through 16, 17, 18, are pivotal. They shape who she becomes to the world. And while I know she’ll face challenges, I also know that God has His hand on her life in a very real way.

Our goal has always been simple: to raise six loving, caring human beings who contribute to society and love the Lord. Emily’s story is a reminder that sometimes, those goals are met not just through parenting, but through miracles.

And she is a miracle.

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Mama, I see the way you give, sacrifice, and keep pushing through the hard days. You deserve a moment that’s all yours. That’s what I offer at Kristian Hutchings Portraits—a chance to pause, breathe, and be completely cared for. You’ll leave not only with beautiful portraits, but with the memory of a day where you finally got to put yourself first.

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Kristian is a mom of six, Program Manager by day, active Professional Photographer by trade, and a big believer in finding beauty in the everyday chaos.

Life in our house is loud, messy and full of literally everything. Love, noise, laundry, laughter, and definitely could use a bit more grace. I'm happily married to my best friend, grounded in my Catholic faith, and fueled by five to six hours of sleep per night and adrenaline.

I try to find joy in the everyday — even when it's wild, because without the little bit of joy, this life would be unbearable. This space is for the moms in the middle of it all: the ones juggling family, faith, work, and wonder. The ones that need someone else's messy life to make their own seem better or somewhat normal. You're not alone, and you're doing better than you think.

Welcome to Six Sweet Smiles — where we celebrate the mess, the miracles, and everything in between.