The Point of Viability
A Coming Alive Story
The Point of Viability is a true story of faith tested at the limits of hope. In this deeply moving spiritual memoir, Julie Yost takes you into her journey through infertility, a high-risk triplet pregnancy, extended hospital bedrest, devastating loss, and unexpected grace. Centered on the fragile threshold where medicine defines “viability,” this story unfolds at the intersection of suffering and surrender—where prayer becomes breath and trust in God is learned moment by moment.
With unflinching honesty and profound reverence, Julie reflects on motherhood, grief, and the surprisingly beautiful ways the Lord meets us in our most vulnerable hours. The Point of Viability is not a story of easy answers, but a witness to how hope, joy, and life can flourish even in the shadow of the cross.
As her journey unfolds, Julie creates space for you to pause, breathe, and welcome the Lord into the center of your own sacred narrative. Blending heartfelt testimony with prayerful reflections, this book offers a gentle invitation to experience the abundant life Jesus promises, regardless of the challenges you face.
Reviews
“The Point of Viability: A Coming Alive Story is a tender and courageous witness to the kind of joy that does not deny suffering, but grows alongside it. Julie Yost invites us into the sacred tension of profound loss and fierce hope. Her story reveals a joy that is neither naïve nor forced, but deeply incarnational.
With honesty and reverence, Julie shows us that grief and gratitude are not opposites, but companions. She offers no platitudes—only presence. No easy answers—only a faithful attentiveness to the moment God has given. In the long days of bedrest, uncertainty, and heartbreak, she discovers that joy is not found by escaping pain, but by fully inhabiting it with love.
This book will resonate deeply with parents who have carried loss in their bodies and hearts, and with anyone who has learned that waiting can be holy ground. The Point of Viability is a beautiful reminder that even in the most fragile spaces of loss and uncertainty, God still meets us—and life, in all its tenderness, can still come alive.”
— Kelly Breaux, Author of Hiding in the Upper Room: How the Catholic Sacraments Healed Me from Child Loss and Founder of Red Bird Ministries
“I’m blown away by this book! Julie writes with such honesty and grace as she shares her journey with infertility, a challenging pregnancy, loss, miracles, God’s healing love, and the joy of life. As a marriage and family therapist—and through my wife and sister, both Labor and Delivery nurses—I’ve heard similar gripping stories. But through Julie’s gifted writing, I experienced these realities even more intimately. As I read, I felt like I was sharing in every woman’s suffering and joy. I cried and praised God for his goodness in each moving chapter and in Julie’s vulnerable and faith-filled reflections. I have always admired holy women, but my admiration grew by leaps and bounds through Julie’s account.”
— Dr. Bob Schuchts, Bestselling Author of Be Healed and Founder of the John Paul II Healing Center
“A story brimming with the sacredness and beauty of life—however brief—and the power of prayer, The Point of Viability reminds readers that the Author of Life always writes a riveting story. Julie Yost reveals with tenderness and transparency her journey of pregnancy, hope, loss, and love. Even more, she offers readers the opportunity to reflect on and pray through their own sacred stories. A triumph of trust in God’s mysterious provision!”
— Claire Dwyer, Author of This Present Paradise: A Spiritual Journey with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and Co-Founder of Write These Words
“A profound story of how Jesus Christ can draw good even out of our most painful experiences. If you want to witness the birth of our crucified and risen Lord within a soul, read this book. As a priest who meets with women and men grieving the loss of a child, I will be buying this book in bulk to assure them they are not alone.”
— Fr. Eric Roush, Catholic Priest, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
“Sacred Scripture proclaims that motherhood is, by its very essence, salvific (1 Tim 2:15). In The Point of Viability, author Julie Yost offers a compelling and vulnerable glimpse into the cross she suffered in her motherhood and the new life she found in Christ. This captivating story is a story every mother must read. Every ounce of Yost’s heart is poured out on these pages as a promise of hope.”
— Carrie Daunt, Author of Undone: Freeing your Feminine Heart from the Knots of Fear and Shame and Co-Author of Man Your Post: Learning to Lead like St. Joseph
“The Point of Viability: A Coming Alive Story beautifully shows how to incorporate faith even in the most difficult seasons of life. Julie shares her journey through a high-risk pregnancy, revealing both the joys and the sorrows of growing new life within her. The book will leave you inspired.”
— Emily Jaminet, Author, Speaker, Radio Host, Executive Director of the Sacred Heart Enthronement Network, and Co-Founder of Inspire the Faith
“The Point of Viability: A Coming Alive Story is an inspiring and deeply moving pro-life testimony that invites prayerful reflection on God’s presence amid suffering and uncertainty. Through one mother’s courageous trust in divine providence during a high-risk pregnancy, her story reveals how faith transforms fear into hope and hardship into grace. It’s a powerful reminder of God’s tender intervention in the most fragile moments of life and a call to recognize His hand in the challenges and joys that shape our own journeys.”
— Bob Wurzelbacher, Director of Respect Life Ministries, Archdiocese of Cincinnati
“In The Point of Viability, Julie Yost gives us a raw and tender passageway into one of life's most beautiful and vulnerable experiences — maternity. Through her journey of inexplicable suffering, trust, and surrender, Julie invites readers into the most sacred spaces of her story. One cannot read through the pages of this book without being moved to tears in the most beautiful and Christ-centered way. The hope that abounds through her physical, maternal, and spiritual journey leaves readers with a renewed desire to entrust all things to God's providence. Thank you, Julie, for welcoming us into these sacred corners of a mother's heart.”
— Suzanne Bilodeau, Author of She Loved: Resting in the Beauty of Motherhood and Creator and Host of the Latte & Laundry Podcast