Miracles Don’t Always Look the Way We Expect - by Mackenzie Mullenix

Before I was even born, my life was questioned. My parents were told by an OB/GYN that I wasn’t going to make it, that my body wasn’t developing “normally,” that my chances of survival were low, and that termination was the safest option. Before I had a name, before I took my first breath, my life was already seen as a problem to erase. But God had already decided I was meant to be here. Even when doctors doubted my survival, God never did.

Living with Turner syndrome (TS) has meant a lifetime of battles - many of them invisible. My body has never worked the way it was “supposed” to. Doctor visits, blood draws, and medical explanations became part of my childhood. I struggled with constant ear problems (repeated infections), difficulty hearing, feeling embarrassed asking people to repeat themselves, and feeling left out when I couldn’t fully keep up with conversations. It was isolating in ways people don’t see, especially when you already feel different. I also deal with thyroid issues that affect my energy, my weight, my mood, and my ability to function day to day.

There are times I feel exhausted beyond words, frustrated that my body won’t cooperate, no matter how hard I try. Some days it feels like I am fighting my own body just to survive. In those moments, when I feel weak and worn down, God is the strength I don’t have on my own. When my body fails me, my faith carries me.

Emotionally, Turner syndrome has taken things from me before I ever had the chance to want them. Learning about infertility felt like a deep kind of grief, a quiet heartbreak for a future I may never experience. Watching others grow into their bodies, their lives, and their dreams has been painful. There were nights I cried, questioning why God would give me this path. I prayed through anger, confusion, and sadness, sometimes feeling far from Him but even then, He never left me.

There were moments when I questioned my worth. When your life begins with someone suggesting you shouldn’t exist, that thought can linger in your heart longer than it should. But God continuously reminds me that I am not a mistake. I was created on purpose, with purpose. Turner syndrome does not define my value, God does. Through every appointment, every setback, every tear, God has been there. He has used my pain to shape my character and my struggles to build my strength. He taught me resilience when I wanted to give up, courage when I was afraid, and compassion for others who are hurting. My faith didn’t remove the hardship, but it gave me the ability to endure it.

Today, I don’t see Turner syndrome as something that weakens me. I see it as part of the testimony God is writing through my life. I am living proof that strength can come from suffering and that miracles don’t always look the way we expect. I am still here. I am still standing. And I know God has been with me through it all, making me stronger every step of the way.