Ishmael Wah

Life Sketch of Ishamel David Wah

When I conceived him, I said to myself, this will be my last child. From the moment I first saw his heartbeat on the ultrasound to the day he was born; I felt that there was something extraordinary about him. The love I had for him was unlike anything I had ever known. As the pregnancy progressed and I attended my routine appointments, that feeling only grew stronger. Then, in my 20th week, our lives changed forever. I was informed that my beautiful baby boy had been diagnosed with Interrupted Aortic Arch, a rare congenital heart defect that occurs in only about three out of every million births and can cause serious complications if left untreated. In addition to this, he also had two holes in his heart.

From the moment we received this devastating news, we committed ourselves to prayer and fasting, believing God for a miracle. On July 29, 2025, I gave birth to my precious son, Ishamel. Immediately after his birth, he was flown to the city for emergency surgery. I followed the next day to be by his side as he faced a life-and-death operation. By the grace of God, the surgery was successful. I spent more than 45 days within the walls of that hospital watching my little warrior fight for his life. He endured over eight hours of surgery, tubes, needles, and pain, yet his strength never failed. He fought like a champion.

Every month, I faithfully took him to his medical appointments, administered his medications, and fed him through tubes. He was the strongest child I had ever known. There were moments of fear when we had to rush him to Sanford Hospital during episodes of convulsions, yet even then, he showed remarkable resilience.

Then on Sunday, January 18, by 6:30 a.m., I woke up, checked on him in his crib as I always do. But this time, something felt wrong. I rushed closer and realized he was not breathing. In panic, I grabbed him shouting, crying out for his father. Without hesitation, we hurriedly rushed to the hospital. Tragically, on our way, we were involved in a terrible accident.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in the hospital. My son was on the 9th floor in the pediatric ward. At about 2:00 p.m., my precious boy was pronounced dead.

My beautiful Ishamel, in barely six months, you endured and experienced more pain than most people face in a lifetime. Yet you never stopped fighting. You were brave, strong, and full of courage. You taught us what true strength looks like.

Ishamel David Wah is survived by his loving parents, William Jallah Wah and Miatta Hill of Fargo; his sister, Doris Hill of Fargo; his brothers, Oliver Wah and James Wah of Fargo, and Richmond Wah and Jamiel Wah of Monrovia, Liberia; his grandfather, Robert Hill of Pennsylvania; his grandmothers, Martha Toe of Monrovia, Liberia and Deborah Hill of Pennsylvania; his uncles, James Wah and Jasper Wah of Monrovia, Liberia, and Aziel Miller of Pennsylvania; his aunts, Aye Hill and Aliyah Hill of Pennsylvania; his cousin, Aidan Hill of Pennsylvania; and his grandparents, Apostle and Rev. Mother D-Klay Quie.

Rest in peace, my son.

Until we meet again.

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