It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. The phone rings and the voice on the other end says, “There’s been an accident.” Their thirty-three-year-old daughter, Sara, was working out on a treadmill at the club and had a seizure, causing her to fall and strike her head. They rush to the hospital ICU to be at her side. Two days later, she feels fine and wants desperately to be released. They take her home and stay with her, observing her through the weekend to make sure she has no further complications. An hour after they leave, they receive a desperate phone call. She has a severe, debilitating headache. Upon reaching the hospital where she was rushed by ambulance, the admitting doctor greets them with somber news. She is close to death. She needs emergency surgery to relieve the pressure and bleeding on her brain. For five hours, they cry out to God. Please, God. Please! Finally, the surgeon comes in and gives them the same somber assessment. Indeed, she is close to death. She is in a coma supported by many machines. Her prognosis is guarded to poor. Her path is unknown. They must wait and watch and pray. The journey begins.
They wait and they watch. A multitude joins them in praying for their daughter. Finally, the first miracle occurs. “Sara, can you open your eyes?” asks the nurse. For the first time in four days, she responds to a verbal command. She raises her eyebrows and opens her eyes a tiny bit. A glimmer of hope! “We need to control Sara’s brain swelling and pressure by keeping her sedated,” the doctor explains. “When brain swelling starts to recede, hopefully we can reduce the sedation and see more response.” They learn that the C-scan is normal and there is no more bleeding. All other vital signs are normal. Her feeding tube provides the nutrition she needs. She’s young. These are all factors in her favor. Praise God for this good news. She continues to sleep. They continue to watch and wait.
The next day, a pastor from their church visits and hope rises even more. She bows her head for a few moments and looks up smiling. “I feel God’s presence here. Sara is covered in prayer.” She points them to Isaiah 41: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (verse 10). She prays a beautiful prayer over Sara, asking God for a full recovery and little signs along the way. She seems confident in her prayer. They know God is in the midst of their journey.
They continue to watch and wait. For the next ten days, the doctors gradually reduce the sedation. Sara’s C-scans are still normal. Visitors continue to come and pray. Little by little, she grows more responsive. A head move. A frown. A cough. She moves her foot and hand. Both arms move. Her eyes open momentarily. Thank You, Jesus. Her mom gazes out the wall of windows in her room. Beautiful trees line both sides of the street for many blocks. The sun streams in from early morning until late afternoon. The angle of Sara’s bed provides her with the perfect view of the cross on the top of a nearby church. God is so good. Wake up and see, Sara!
More watching, more waiting. Mom touches Sara’s hand and speaks gently to her. She bats both eyes and looks at her, frightened. Mom comforts her. “You are in the hospital. You had an accident. You’re in a safe place.” She settles down. She knows she is safe. She has surgery to open a direct airway into her trachea so they can remove the breathing tube from her mouth. They take the feeding tube out of her nose and throat and put it directly into her stomach. She’s now breathing partially on her own. She still hasn’t regained consciousness. But her motor movement is becoming more purposeful. She’s fading in and out, blinking periodically, lifting her head, frowning, swallowing, and moving and flexing her arms, legs, feet, and hands. Her doctor is impressed with her eye movement and ability to obey commands. All progress. Praise God!
Finally, she is off sedation and her brain pressure is stable. She is awake! She smiles. Thank You, Jesus! Doctors remove the drain to her brain and all the surgical staples. She continues to improve. As she sits in a chair facing the beautiful windows, basking in the sunshine, the neurological team is amazed with her progress. She follows commands with her eyes open wide, looking at each person around the room. She still can’t talk because of the trach tube, but she is totally alert and communicates with expression and eyes. She scratches and paws at the line of stitches in her head.
Nearly three weeks after the accident, Sara transfers to another facility for rehab. Again her doctor and the neurological team are amazed at her progress. A new trach tube enables her to speak. Mom bundles her up and takes her outside to enjoy the warm sunshine and fresh air, marveling that only three weeks ago, doctors told them their precious Sara was close to death. As the days in rehab progress, she becomes totally alert and awake all day. When she removes the trach tube herself, the doctors agree that it’s time for her to breathe on her own! Again, Mom marvels at God’s faithfulness. On her first day of therapy, she takes seven steps. A week later, she does laps of two hundred steps twice daily. Her first words were a very raspy “I’m hungry,” and now she tells the nurse not to wake her up too early and the doctor that she is ready to leave. Her sense of humor is back. She wears her running shoes, walks on her own, and sends text messages to her friends. Her physical strength is returning, and her appetite is ravenous. She attends therapy sessions several times daily. Praise the Lord for what He has done!
After three weeks of therapy, she goes to another facility for more intense rehab. Her caregivers call her “the miracle girl.” Therapy continues, she showers and grooms on her own, and sleeps and eats well. Nearly two months after the accident, Sara goes home. She continues her therapy on an outpatient basis for a few more weeks. Doctors expect a full recovery. The journey draws to an end, but a new journey begins: the telling of Sara’s story, with all glory to Jehovah-Rapha, the God who heals.