Relatives marvel at baby from brain-dead mom

As his aunt cradled Josiah Fay in her arms, the 1-month-old boy sleepily opened his eyes while his uncle lightly brushed his brown hair with his index finger and gave him soft kisses on his forehead.

"We're in constant awe of him," said Michael Fay's wife, Carie, as they gazed at his cherubic face yesterday during a visit to a friend's home in Alewa Heights.

On the Net » The Sarah Marie Fay Memorial Fund was set up to help support her three children. Donations also may be made to the S.A.R.A.H. Foundation to help victims of domestic violence. See the Web site www.sarahmariefay.com.

Michael Fay, his wife and Josiah left Honolulu last night for Denver, where the couple plan to raise him. Fay, brother of Josiah's mother, Sarah Fay, are in the process of legally adopting him.

Josiah was delivered by Caesarean section at the Queen's Medical Center on Dec. 12. His mother, 34, was kept on life support to preserve the life of Josiah after she was declared brain-dead. Her boyfriend, Marwan Jackson, was charged with her murder.

Her two other children, 10-year-old son Adahy and 7-year-old daughter Wahliya, are staying with their father, Brian "Forest" Kessell in Pasadena, Calif.

Josiah was released from Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children two days ago after spending a month there since his delivery. He has a healthy appetite and eats every three hours, Michael said, noting that he now weighs 5 1/2 pounds.

Support from family, friends and the community has comforted the Fays since Sarah Fay's death.

"Right now, we're just trying to bring closure to my sister's life and to stay really positive and hope we can help others in the same situation and help them speak out and have a voice," he said.

Michael said he has since received many gifts from family, friends and community members, including a prayer book for Josiah, a changing table, a Hawaiian quilt, a couple of bottles and a small African drum. Michael said his sister enjoyed playing African drums and was very spiritual.

While Sarah Fay was on life support at Queen's, many came to visit her, including a Buddhist monk who gave Josiah a Tibetan name, Kunchog Kyab. It means "rare, sublime higher being who is protected," Josiah's grandmother Fran Fay said in an e-mail yesterday.

"I just wish I could be holding Josiah. He looks like an angel and is truly a miracle," Fay said. "I am so uplifted by him. Thank God for miracles. My Sarah must be smiling her big sweet smile."

Josiah's grandmother said she plans to fly to Denver to visit her grandson once she gains enough strength to travel. Fran, who lives in Oregon with her daughter, Stacey Fay, has been undergoing chemotherapy for ovarian cancer.

"I know Mike and Carie are going to do a great job raising him," she said.

Like Fran, Sarah's sister said she can't wait to see her nephew.

Stacey said she has a photo of Josiah hanging in her office next to photos of her with her sister Sarah. The photos bring her joy but also sadness because her sister is no longer here. "But Josiah is here and that puts a big smile on my face," she said.

"I know that my sister in spirit has been watching over him and have been seeing pictures of him and saying, 'Wow, I had a really beautiful baby,'" Stacey said.

Family members thanked staff members at both hospitals for their care and support. They also thanked Sarah's good friend, Aia, who held, fed and sang to Josiah every day while he was in the hospital and sat at Sarah's bedside while she was at Queen's. Aia was Sarah's midwife for her second child, Wahliya. "I could never thank her enough for what she's done," Michael Fay said.

He said he and his wife look forward to raising Josiah. "I'm just excited and what he's going to teach me and what I'm going to teach him ... I've learned so much from him," he said.

The Fays plan to spread Sarah's ashes on the Big Island and Champaign, Ill., where she grew up.

"I'm just really happy that everything has turned out the way it has as far as Josiah is concerned, that he is healthy, that he is in a great family that loves him," Stacey said.