REVIEWS

“Dear reader, I am so glad you chose this book! In it you will find a fascinating story of a mother, who boards an emotional roller coaster that tests her in every way possible, while her precious longed-for baby struggles to survive. Walk with Olga as she relates her story of life, love, survival, and learning while on this path. Be uplifted…”

Marie Walters

“This was one of the most heart touching and hardest books to read. This book is not for the faint of heart. This book was a big eye opener for me as to understanding people who are going through a hard time in life. As I am related to Olga, as a sister, seeing them go through this scary time in their life, I did not fully comprehend the intensity of their pain and just how excruciating fragile everyday was for them until I read the book. It will be hard for you to read the book and not shed many tears. I can say their testimony forever changed my heart.”

Lana Mchedlidze

“This book is a wonderful source of encouragement for anyone who is going through a difficult time in their life and struggling with their faith in God. Olga’s story is a beautiful testament to the hope that exists in even the darkest of days.”

Taylor Hooper

“This is a heartwarming story of a couple that struggle with tough decisions that I’m not sure I would be able to make concerning their 4^th child. God’s grace and love and their strong faith makes this a book that you’ll not soon forget.”

Sandie Hollister

“I did not have the honor of knowing Elijah, but I have come to know his mother, Olga, and learned of the amazing impact his life had upon his family and the medical personnel. As told in detail by his mother, Elijah’s story broke my heart and lifted my spirit on every page. He was a warrior sent here to teach all of us the value of life, and the power of families to find faith, love, and joy even in the most heart wrenching circumstances. Within the pages of this book you will mostly likely weep when Elijah struggles to survive, and his parents make life or death decisions. Yet, you will also be inspired by the courage and faith of this family as they triumph over tragedy and move forward to serve others with love and compassion in their community.”

Kay Watson

“This book is a journey, filled with Love, Courage and Faith. Love not only for Elijah, but the love shown and shared by Olga and Oleg for each other and their children. Courage shown by Olga and Oleg to do everything in their power to save the life of their precious Elijah. Faith in our God that He would be with them through out this journey. This journey does not end with the final page… It continues.”

Joe Amaya

“Life is full of good times, love, hope and, sometimes, hard choices. Hopefully those hard choices happen only once in a lifetime, an overwhelming challenge of hope and faith… Having worked in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 38 years, I met and cared for, not only infants, but whole families. One family I will never forget immigrated from the Ukraine and Russia and were put into a world so very foreign from anything they had ever had to experience before. They had to put their trust in what Doctors and Nurses had to say. Oleg and Olga and their entire family were dealt a card no one would have wanted to deal with. I know this from my personal experience. Their story will capture your heart and soul, as they fought for the life of their premature son. Through this son, Elijah, they found more love and faith than they ever though was possible. I am honored to be part of this story.”

Patti Dryden

The Puzzle of Elijah

Life is a puzzle.

You never know what the big picture is going to look like.

You may think, here is the end of life,

but in reality – it is only the beginning.

Olga Anischenko

The Puzzle of Elijah

© 2018 Olga Anischenko. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the author except as provided by USA copyright law.

Book editor: Kay Watson

Cover designer: dezaro.net

Website: www.olgaanischenko.com

YouTube: Olga Anischenko English Channel

Amazon books: Olga Anischenko or http://a.co/9QyIdgZ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/olga.anischenko.3

To invite Olga as a speaker: 360–521–9240

INTRODUCTION

My name is Olga. This story is about my family, friends, and completely unfamiliar people, who miraculously appeared in our life and helped us during difficult times. I wrote this book for seven long years.

Writing this book has been everything but easy. It has taken time to reflect, understand, and to become completely at peace with the decisions we made and the actions we took. And to be completely honest, it was painful everyday as I recalled and wrote down memories, experiences, thoughts, and such personal conversation as we sometimes had to have. It was never easy for me to entrust my soul to paper. I even had to face family and friends who doubted the wisdom of sharing our story. They felt there were parts of the story which should not be told. I then faced a new dilemma: should I tell only part of our story or be truthful in every detail. I chose the harder way, to share our journey as openly and completely as possible.

Ultimately, I realized my story, told sincerely, would help other families in similar situations. This approach inspired me and gave me confidence I was doing the right thing. I know what parents feel in the midst of continuing crises. I have experienced their fears and their pleas for mercy in their prayers. I know they do not need pity. They need help and encouragement; support and assurance they are doing the right thing for their child; and never-ending love which gives them confidence to keep going.

Every page of this book was written by me with tears. In the process of working and examining what we experienced, I discovered a lot in myself, in my loved ones, and in my God. It is God that Oleg and I are grateful to for the experience and support we received throughout such a difficult time for our family. We have discovered that serious trials can become the foundation for future growth and success. Passing through the limits of physical and moral strength, we moved forward. Accepting from God both good and bad, we decided to rely entirely on Him, believing that He will lead us to a better future.

In fact, my book is a story of faith, hope, love, courage and, at the same time, worry for the future of our family. Under the weight of unimaginable stress, we made important and irreversible life and death decisions. It was a struggle and a challenge to everything we believed in and how we lived. Now, years later, we realize who we are and why we have experienced this life lesson. Over time, there was a clear understanding that we survived largely due to our large family, and the upbringing we received in our childhood. Our parents instilled the qualities in us which helped us cope with the tragedy. We realized that our life is firmly entwined with the subtle and inextricable thread of the past.