There, but for the grace of God, go I.   

I wonder whether Neil Beagley ever ruminated on those words. He was just 16 years old when his little niece became deathly ill in the spring of 2008. 

Ava was just over a year old and was a delight for the entire family. The youngest member of the Beagley clan. It must’ve been heartbreaking to watch her spirit fade away as the pneumonia stole her breathe... and eventually, her life. 

In her final hours, the whole family gathered, along with members of their church, to pray for Ava to come back to them, beseeching God to intervene.

But, their prayers went unanswered. 

Neil, his parents and his younger sister tried to focus on the future. They were in the process of selling their home in Oregon City, so they could build the house of their dreams. In the meantime, they were staying in a trailer that Neil’s grandmother no longer needed herself. It was in pretty rough shape, but it was only temporary, and they were a close family. They could get through anything, so long as they stuck together.

And that’s what they did – Neil and his younger sister helping grandma with chores and fixing up the property, when they weren’t busy with homeschooling in the barn. Neil was becoming quite an independent young man, driving a tractor and backhoe, tackling some of the most difficult projects with confidence and dedication. 

Even when he started feeling a little run down, he hardly took a break. And, eventually, he’d start to feel more like himself again. 

At least that’s what had happened before and what they thought would happen this time, too... 

So why were Neil’s parents now being charged with murder? 

Because faith might move mountains, but it takes more than prayer to save the life of a child.

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