By Rosie Preston
Courage is a very strong emotion that we often must dive into our inner self in order to find it.
In my own experience, I recently watched my daughter Rachel holding onto hope and faith with a huge amount of courage.
A few years ago, Rachel had fallen out of her bed to the floor when she tried to stand up. It turned out that she was paralyzed. She had to wait for her dad to pick her up and take her to the emergency room. After they observed her, the doctors sent Rachel to UAB Hospital in Birmingham. Doctors told her that she may not be able to walk again. Her condition was a mystery for the medical professionals to diagnose, but It was eventually determined that Rachel suffered from an autoimmune disease called transverse myelitis, which attacks one’s spinal nerves equally on both sides.
She seemed to be in good spirits, despite not knowing what the future would hold.
The doctors told Rachel that if she could stand up, they could teach her to walk again. Eventually she was being exercised by the hospital’s rehab department, and within a couple of weeks, she was able to stand. She then was transferred to the UAB Spain Rehab Center, where she had qualified for the help she needed.
Rachel eventually was able to walk again, but what happened that dreadful morning changed her whole life. She has been on disability ever since then and has to endure pain management therapy, which includes injections in her spine. She uses pain pills to help her manage the symptoms.
Rachel soon reached the point where we thought she had leveled off and would not get worse. However, she had a relapse a couple of weeks ago and is presently enduring a tremendous amount of pain, despite all the medication. Last week she was introduced to a new type of chemotherapy treatment during which she must sit for five hours at a time to receive infusions through an IV in her arm.
I believe Rachel qualifies as a person who has fought with being courageous even though her declining health. I’ve cried a thousand tears, but never in her presence.
Years ago, I read a best-selling book by Harold Kushner called “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” I often give the book to people who are going through a loss, an illness or a divorce, because it answered so many questions that I had asked of my own life.
Please pray for my daughter that God will give her the strength, determination, willpower and courage to help her every day.
When you grow up attending church, you are often taught that nothing bad will happen to you and that you will be saved from pain and heartache. This is not true. Many times, I ‘ve hit rock bottom, only to find strength to reach out and pray for God to help me. He doesn’t always make everything right, as some people may die, some people do not get healed and some people live with grief and pain on a daily basis. I am more glad than ever that our dear mother took me and my sisters to church.
I believe in miracles and have experienced a few in my lifetime. Just a few months ago, I was driving home from Southside in the pouring rain, and I could not remember whether I needed to turn left or right off Hwy. 77. After traveling enough miles to where I realized that I should have already arrived at home, I turned around and called my wonderful friend Ranae. I don’t know how she did it, but she used landmarks and told me how to get home. At one point, my car left the road and hit the right side where is was covered with grass, I could see a car coming towards me, and the next thing I knew, I was back in the correct lane. Ranae calmed me down and perhaps even kept me from having an accident.
There have been many other miracles I’ve witnessed in my family and friend’s lives, but none of us have been spared from the grief and pain we must endure. These are the times when it seems as if God is the only being who feels our heart and knows our thoughts, and yes, maybe even sends angels to protect us.
Please pray for my daughter that God will give her the strength, determination, willpower and courage to help her every day.
Keep smiling and keep believing!
Contact Rosie Preston at rosie.preston@yahoo.com.
