I am often known as “the girl who has heart issues”. I have a rare heart condition that led me to have open heart surgery at age 17. Several years later, I had to undergo two more open heart surgeries in just a three-week period. And last year, I was about to undergo a fourth heart procedure, but doctors were concerned about my blood count and discovered that I have leukemia. So, I'm currently in the midst of some very difficult chemotherapy treatments. I believe everyone has struggles and a story to tell. Some may look different than others; my struggles… Read More
Hospital
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My daughter, Amelia, was born three months prematurely, and weighed only 1 pound 11 ounces. She was in the NICU for 125 days. It was tortuous, exhausting and scary. My husband and I were simply in survival mode for those four months. We totally relied on our faith to get us through. People surrounded us with prayer. I learned that the power of prayer is remarkable--there was a feeling of peace and calm that I can’t describe. I felt like the Lord was there with us throughout the entire ordeal. Remarkably, and by the grace of God, Amelia survived and is now… Read More
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When the neurologist told me with tears in his eyes that I had ALS and there is no known cure, the room grew silent. But my mind focused on a beautiful image: this disease will be my Blessed Chariot that will carry me home to be with Jesus forever. Typically, there is a three to five-year life expectancy for a person with ALS, but my symptoms started in my mouth, so research says my life may be even shorter. I really don’t know how much time I have but I know that God is in charge. And I plan to live… Read More
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I was a nurse in the oncology unit of a hospital when one of my cancer patients asked me a question that took me completely off-guard. She asked if I would take care of her eight-year-old son, Wesley, if she passed away. We had only known each other for 10 days. Tricia had some stomach pains and a CT scan revealed she had an extremely rare form of vascular cancer. She had undergone a number of difficult chemotherapy treatments which had some devastating side effects. She got extremely sick very quickly, and had to be hospitalized. As her nurse on her first… Read More
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Life is not easy as a quadruple amputee. But I have never doubted God and if I can be an inspiration to just one person and lead them to a relationship with Jesus, then this has all been worth it. On New Year’s Eve of 2019, I came down with the flu. Over the next few days, my health worsened and I was rushed to the hospital. I developed a blood infection; then went into cardiac arrest and septic shock which started to cause organ failure. I actually flatlined for over seven minutes. By the grace of God, a cardiac surgeon… Read More
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I may be 90 years old but I can still serve the Lord. So I’ve been making hats for newborn babies for 15 years. I’ve made over 11,000, and hope to continue making them until I’m 100! Jesus told us that we are to love and help one another, and this is one thing I can do at my age to demonstrate that love. I think they look cute on the babies but they also serve an important medical purpose: the hats help stabilize a baby’s body temperature and keep the child warm as they adapt to life outside the womb. This… Read More