Category : Stories

Sub Category : Suspense/Mystery

 way. It was just another rainy day and nothing was really happing out of the ordinary. I went about my day as I would any other and went to school. In my first class that morning I found myself feeling tired as I had some trouble sleeping the night before but try to stay focused. Out of no where I stopped what I was doing and found myself just being totally focused on the clock for one full minute at 8:00 A.M. it was really strange and I felt sick to my stomach because something just didn’t seem right. I tried to just focus on the task at hand and get through the day. I was fine until I was in my fifth class of the day which was jus after lunch and then it happened to my again at 1: P.M and this time it was even worse because not only did I focus on the clock for the entire minute and feel sick to my stomach but I really wanted to call home and have them come get me. However I was able to finish my last two classes of the day and then go home. As the bus driver pulled into the driveway I started to feel sick again and had no idea why but I just knew that there was something very wrong. Little did I know how right I was about something being very wrong but how little I knew about how it was going to change my life!

As I came up the ramp to go in the house my foster mom Donna met me at the door and opened for me. I knew that something was wrong by look on her face and I could see that she had been crying. I went back to my bedroom and just sat there for a minute and then I heard my foster dad Tom asked someone if they were ready and before I long Tom, Donna, and Their daughter Tami came in my room. I was sitting next to my bed and facing the door when they came in. Donna sat on the bed next on my left; Tami knelt down on the in front of me and put her right had on my right knee while facing me, While Tom knelt on his right knee and holding my right hand in his right hand. I turned and looked at Donna who told me that my step dad named Mark had committed suicide. I immediately fell forward into Donna’s arms and started screaming no over and over again and crying really hard and almost throwing up. By this point all of us are crying and Donna just held me as I cried while praying for me. Then I asked Donna when they got the call and she told me that at 8:00 A.M the call came that Mark had committed suicide. She then told me that around 1:00 P.M was the call that confirmed that it was in fact Mark Sr. that committed suicide and Mark Jr. as it was not specified during the first phone call. This instantly explained why I felt the way I did during the day and was unable to focus.

I cried off and on all night that night and for the next two weeks it was almost as if no one could look at me without seeing tears just streaming down my face. I cried so hard for so long I wasn’t sure that would ever stop as I from the moment I was told I felt that it was my fault! This feeling guilt wasn’t made any easier by his family because on Saturday, March 20, 2004 only four days after his suicide his parents came over to me and while they were there they told me to my face that Mark’s death was my fault!

I carried around the guilt for a little more than a year and a half. Then I attend a three day class called Life Change and through the course of those three days I came to very deep understanding that I had no control over his death and that it wasn’t my fault it was also discovered through those three days that a lot of the abuse I had suffered had come from him. It wasn’t until this that I also really realized that he could no longer hurt me in anyway ever again!

It has been almost five years now and it has proven and still is a very long and hard road. But through it all I am learning how to life a life free of abuse and become a strong woman because of it all

 

A Girl Who Affected Many But Impacted My Life Forever

 Posted by Hannah on February 18, 2010 at 2:13 PM comments (0)

It was just another day as I went about my day doing my daily routine. It was like any other Friday where I would go out looking for a job and then come home and relax for a while. I came home that evening and watched a little TV before eating dinner. As I started to eat dinner the phone rang and it was a call that would turn my world around and upside down and at the same time change my life! This is a story about how meeting one little girl that l made such and impact on my life and how our relationship was one that was very unique and one that will cherish forever.

Her name was Jenaya and she was affected by Rett Syndrome. On June 20, 2000 I moved into the foster home where she was living. It didn’t take long for me to realize that this little girl was very special and had a vey warm and loving heart. She was unable to talk, walk, feed herself, or do the basic things in life that are often taken for granted. Even though she couldn’t verbally communicate she said so much just by the look in her eyes. It wasn’t long before I realized that it was as if she was trapped in box but could be a totally inspiration not only to me but everyone that sees her.

It wasn’t long before she had me completely wrapped around her finger. I could just sit and talk with her and she would just get so excited because I was talking to her that she would just start laughing, smiling, and legs would bounce from the excitement. I just could never understand how she could go through so much and yet she’d still have a smile on her face and so much love in her heart. It would bring tears to eyes just watching her go through terrible grand mal seizures and even with all of it her spirit was so sweet.

The bond between us grew even stronger with each day that passed by. In fact it grew so strong that I was able to know when she was close to having a seizure. I would always make sure that I was right there with her when she came out of it when it was possible. There were times that she didn’t want to eat and if I was there all I had to do was go and sit next to her and she would eat. Then of course there were the times when she would just start screaming and no one could figure out why and all I had to do was get where she could see me and tell her that I was there and it was ok and for some reason almost every time she would calm down.

I remember the day when she sitting in the kitchen and I went in and started talking to her and as I kept saying hi to her and asking her if she could say it her excitement grew.. After about twenty minutes I heard her say hi as clear as could be for the very first time in her life! It was so exciting and to this very day still brings tears to my eyes then there was the time she ended up in the hospital with Pneumonia. I went up to see her after a few days of praying real hard that she wouldn’t die as this was the second time in less than a year of getting it. I went into the room and my heart just sunk as I looked at her and she was on oxygen and her body so small and frail. As she turned her head to look at me I had no idea what to expect. She totally surprised me when she turned her head in my direction she looked me and gave the biggest smile. It was as if she was telling me that she was happy to see me and that she loved me. It was then that I knew that she was going to be ok.

In the midst of this every year we would attend the annual Northwest Rett Syndrome Foundation Conference. This was a very interesting time of the year for me. About a week before the conference Jenaya had a very distinct vocalization it was as she knew that we where going to the conference and she was excited. Even though she didn’t like to be around a bunch of people including at these conferences I think she knew that these were designed for and that for three days everything was about her plus she also had the opportunity to see others that were also affected by Rett Syndrome

It was through going to these conferences that I was able to meet other individuals who were challenged with the same disability and the different degrees of it. It also wasn’t long through these conferences and meeting these individuals that my outlook on things started to change. As I attended the conferences I would always help in the room that were respite for the ones who were affect by Rett Syndrome while their parents were in the meetings. During this time I would spend time hold them, talking to them, and just being there with them. I would just sit back and watch them occasionally and it would just amaze me with everything they go through just to get through one day to the next. Yet somehow they always hand a peace, joy, and love about them that impacted everyone that they would come into contact with.

I started to realize that it didn’t matter how overwhelmingly confining any disability may be as I was faced with the struggles that come with Cerebral Palsy. What matters is how you as the individual face the challenges you are faced with. I soon took it to heart that no matter what I was faced with due to having my own disability it was all in how I decided to handle it and what people were going to see when the next challenge was put in front of me.

Jenaya taught me that even in the face of great struggles and pain I can stand. If I hadn’t met her I wouldn’t have had the same outlook on life as I do today. I wouldn’t even be the same person because through her I had the honor and privilege of learning love and patience at much deeper. Along the way it was a blessing to have had the opportunity of meeting other confined by Rett Syndrome and that was just confirming everything Jenaya showed me about life.

It was the interesting and inspirational seven almost eight years of my life. However on May 9, 2008 Jenaya died and I miss her so much I will always love her. I hope that I am to keep her memory alive and live life using every thing she taught me about life to better my life and those around me.

An Unforgettable Weekend

 Posted by Hannah on February 18, 2010 at 2:05 PM comments (0)

It was in August of 2006 and there was going to be a conference held at Life Church in Salem, Oregon. It was called Burning Hearts Northwest. At the conference would be Rita Springer as worship leader and Rachel Hickson as the guest speaker. It was going to be a cool conference to go to I thought. Little did I know that it would be a weekend that I would never forget and would change my life forever!

It was going to be a three-day conference with morning and evening services starting with an evening service on Thursday, August 4. I was staying with close friends Aaron and Alethea that weekend because I would be closer to the church. They came and picked me up at the house around two or three in the afternoon and we went to Walery's Pizza for dinner. From there Alethea and I went to the church because the service would be stating shortly. I was so excited, it was amazing, and I really felt that God was up to something big! I really wanted to be physically healed! God however had something much better in mind!

When the service started the room was filled with such anticipation and excitement. With in the first five minutes I was up front dancing, worshiping, and praising the Lord while have the best time of my life. The presence of the Lord was so strong that I started physically shaking and could hardly breathe! I remember the feeling like it was yesterday and it was indescribable! At one point the Lord’s presence was so strong that I had to leave the front and go about half way back so that I could breathe again. I went back to where Alethea was sitting and tried to get her to come up front with me but she wouldn’t. I went back up front to continue worshiping and what happened next was totally unexpected!

Back up front while worshiping the LORD gave me a vision. The vision was of the alter being a place of healing representing the hem of His garment. He told me that all I had to do was touch the hem of His garment and I would be healed. I was blown away! So as if that wasn’t enough He was about to bless my socks even more with; the word He had given Rachel for that night! She talked about Hannah and how she kept drawing closer and closed to the Lord and asking Him for a child, while everyone including her husband wondered why she pressed so hard, but she knew there had to be more and she didn’t stop until her prayer was answered. It was a blessing because I had never looked at Hannah’s story; I had legally changed my name to Hannah about a year and a half earlier. I was so excited every time she said Hannah, I kept looking at Alethea like holy cow that’s me, and she’s talking about me!

After she finished talking as if the night wasn’t amazing enough already there was more. I remember going up for the alter call and just setting my feet on the alter and just worshiping the Lord and soaking in His presence. A friend of mine named Kassi came over and sat next to me and I had her release the pumble that was between my knees so they could relax. Then Alethea came and sat on the other side of me. She asked me if I was ready leave and I said no and we just sat there. I told her and Kassi about the vision that the Lord had given me. I really didn’t know what to do, I wanted to physically be on the alter but there wasn’t anyone who could safely put me on it and get me back up. We eventually went home that night and all I could think about was the fact that there was two more full days of this. I could hardly wait to go back the next morning to see what would happen next! However something totally and completely unexpected was about to happen that almost made me go home and not finish the conference.

So the next morning we got up and Alethea took me to the morning session and left her cell phone with me in case I needed anything because she had to go somewhere for a while. I was fine through worship, it was great again! However shortly after Rachel started speaking I started to feel really sick, I felt like I had a fever and ached all over. So I went and found Linda Moore and had her pray for me, ate half a banana, drank some water, and called Alethea. She came and picked me up and we went to back to her house. When we got there she laid me down on the couch and took my temperature, which was normal. Then she laid on the couch that was next to me because she wasn’t feeling good either. We laid there and listened to Rita Springer’s cd called I Have To Believe and prayed. Eventually I figured out that this was an attack so I had Alethea call Aaron to have him pray for us and almost crying because of how frustrating it was and wanting him there. We decided that no matter what I was going to go to the evening session! Alethea and I took communion together and then we got ready to go. When she put me put back in my chair I called Aaron and asked him to meet us at the church because of the attack that day I knew that the Lord had something in store! Aaron said that he would, so we left for the church.

When we got there I was feeling a little better and was ready to see some major breakthrough! I think that it was the second song into worship that I felt like I was supposed to be on the floor, I went over to Angela Moore who was standing in front of the booth for the Salem House Of Prayer and told her that I felt like I needed to be on the floor. She looked totally surprised and picked me up and put me on the floor. Then she came over to me and said that she felt like the Lord wanted her to lay over the top of me and pray. I rolled over onto my back and she laid crossways over my stomach. Instantly the stomach thing from earlier came back with an intense heat and I knew God was up to something and that the enemy had tried to use it and make me think that there was something wrong. Then I looked up at Angela and asked her what the Lord was telling her to do and she said that He wanted her to lay on top of me from head to toe. I told her to do it and as soon as she did the feeling I got was incredible! It was like a bolt of lighting but very soft shot through me from the top of my head to the souls of my feet. I just remember her praying over me and all I could do was groan, it felt like I was in labor giving birth to something. Then I remember rolling on to my stomach and having her lay on me that way and the same thing happened again. After that I rolled on my back and tried to sit up but I lost my balance and fell, a man came over and propped me up against him. Lynda Moore was sitting next to me and I looked at her and told her that I was sorry for getting angry but the enemy did not get to get away with doing what he did to earlier and that I expected a breakthrough! She shook her head no like there was no need to apologize. Then I looked at Judy Moore who was standing there crying, praying, and watching and I softly said it would be ok; I’m not sure why I said that though. Then I felt like I needed to be up on the alter but because worship was over it would have been a distraction so I waited.

I went over and sat next to Alethea and noticed that Aaron wasn’t there yet so I barrowed Althea’s cell phone and went outside to call him. When he answered the phone I asked him where he was and he said that he had just gotten home and had a really bad migraine so he would not be coming. That was very frustrating and disappointing but I knew that God had yet again had something awesome in store. So I went back and sat next to Alethea and noticed that Angela was sitting across the isle so I moved over there and sat with her and Jim and Linda Moore while listening to Rachel speak about finding your destiny or calling for your life and how that destiny never dies! It is what you dreamed of as a child because whatever your destiny is, it is encoded in your DNA, no matter what you do there’s no getting away from it! I remember just having Angela embrace me because the feeling I had was so strong I was shaking, I could feel God all over me telling me that He did have a calling on my life! As if I wasn’t blown away already Rachel was about to talk about her testimony that would really touch my heart! Due to an out of control semi truck that smashed her from the waist down she was left her in a wheelchair for four years until God completely healed her. By this point I was so amazed I could barely breathe! Yes I had read her book before the conference but it impacted me in a much better way that I can’t even begin to explain! As Rachel finished speaking Angela and I started moving up front towards the alter, we were both extremely excited and as soon as the alter call was made I was put on the alter and people started to pray for me. As for me however even though people were praying me all I could do was worship the Lord with all my being like never before, it was as if angels were surrounding me as the Lord was taking me into His chambers. I do remember Angela telling me that someone there praying for me felt the Lord say that I was as precious as gold to him. Other than that though I don’t know what happened around me because as far as I could see it was just Jesus and I in the room. I could feel something supernaturally starting to be lifted off of me but I was not sure of what it was at that point. Then before I had them put me back in my chair I had someone go get Alethea to take a picture of me up there. Alethea sat next to me and we just looked at each other for a minute then she asked me if I was ready to go and I of course said no. Eventually I had someone put me back in the chair so we could leave. However I was so drunk in the Holy Spirit that I couldn’t drive the chair so I had Angela drive me to the van but on the way to the door Jim noticed me and saw what was going on and he called me glory hog and I said yes I am and I am proud of it to. As Angela was driving to the van she told me that she felt like the LORD told her that He was going to allow her to feel my pain, which neither of us had any idea what that meant. So we finally made it home and went to bed. I was so excited though that I could hardly sleep, all I could think about was what God had already done and the fact that there was still one more day left. Little did I know God had something planned for the next day that would completely change my life!

It was the last the last day of the conference and I was so excited. I got up that morning just in total amazement with all that had already happened and was just looking forward to another awesomely blessed day. Alethea dropped me off at the church that morning and the first thing I did when I got inside was had Angela lay me on the floor and a put a banner over me. I can’t explain it but there was just something that seemed so natural about being on the floor while worshiping the LORD. As I was doing it I could feel myself drawing closer to Him like never before! It was so sweet and so intimate. As I was laying there I heard Rachel give an alter call for people to accept Christ into their life or to those who needed to rededicate their lives to Him. I had Angela put me in my chair as soon I heard that and ran up front. I knew I needed to get right with the Lord and I could feel Him calling me back home. Then Rachel stated speaking on why bad things happen to good people and she went into more detail about her testimony, which was totally amazing! It was so awesome to know I was starting back on the right track with the LORD. So after the morning season was over Alethea came and took me back home with her. I remember taking a bubble bath and listening to Rita Springer’s cd called I Have To Believe and just soaking in His presence. Then after that I remember talking to Alethea and Aaron and telling them that I felt that during the service that night was when the Lord was going to physically heal me. So we made sure that my camera was charged and ready. Alethea and Aaron were so supportive of what I felt, it was so wonderful! A couple hours later it was time to head to the church.

I was ready to go as I was driving into the church with my camera and pillow in my hand and totally excited. I went up to the front and prayed for people and I specifically remember praying for Tami Wood. Then I remember asking her if she was ready to see me get up and start walking she said yes; I also told her about the vision and word the LORD had given me about the alter, she thought that was cool. I went and found Alethea and sat with her for a minute. Aaron was coming but hadn’t got there yet.

Then the service started and Tami was leading worship. I immediately had someone put me on the alter; it was my favorite place to be while worshiping. I just laid my head on the pillow and started praising the Lord, I just remember being in awe of His presence. I just felt His love and peace in a tangible way that night and it was amazing! I remember lifting my head up at some point and seeing Rachel looking in my direction and as I laid my head back down the Lord spoke to me and told me that He wasn’t going to physically heal me and that He had something better in store for me. He also wanted me to share the word and vision about the alter. I rolled over on to my left side and had someone get the pastor for me and I told him what I felt the Lord wanted me to share and he asked me if I could tell them and I said yes. I told them about the vision and how all they had to do was run and touch the hem of His garment and they would be made whole. With tears in my eyes I laid my head back down when I was finished and then the next thing I knew Rachel was right next to my head praying for me. She said that the Lord wanted her to pray for His destiny over my life to be restored. For the gift of prophesy and intersession to be brought to life again. The whole time she was praying all I could do was groan it was like something was be birthed in me. Then she leaned over my head and said that it didn’t matter if the Lord healed me or not He could and would use me either way. As if I wasn’t moved already the Lord had her sing the chorus to Rita Springer’s song called Worth It All over me and all I could do was just lay there! I Rolled onto my stomach and lifted my head and my hair was in my face so Rachel reached up and moved it out of the way for me. I remember just looking at her with dead eye contact waiting for her to waver in anything she said like she didn’t realize what an impact it had on me but she didn’t. I just looked at her then grabbed her hand and laid back down. I didn’t know what to do except lay there and hold her hand and let the LORD move. She eventually got up and went back to her seat. I looked up at the crowd and to my surprise the front was completely packed with people that came forward in response to the word, I prayed for some people and then just soaked in the Lord’s love. Then when the worship was over I had someone put me back in my chair and I went and sat next to Aaron. I just grabbed his hand and sat there. He looked at me and asked me if I was ready and I said yes even though I knew that he was talking about the Lord healing me physically and that it wasn’t going to happen. I had a very hard time sitting still while Rachel was speaking because I would go up front but every time we made eye contact tears filed my eyes again so I would go sit in the back again. When Rachel was done speaking Tami sang one more song and I laid on the stage for that and then got back in my chair and went and talked to Rachel. I had her repeat what the Lord had told her to tell me and then gave her a hug and told her thank you for being obedient to the Holy Spirit. Then we all went home. I stayed the night at Alethea and Aaron’s that night, went to church with them the next morning and then they took me home.

It’s been almost seven months since that unforgettable weekend and I still remember it like it just happened yesterday! Just thinking about it brings backs all the memories and emotions that came along with it. I came away from it with a deeper love and passion for the Lord like never before! Also the words He spoke to me through Rachel I will never forget! Using Rachel the way He did in my life was incredible! I had never had someone pray for me that could relate so close to me and know exactly what was running through my head and what I was feeling. I will never be the same! I will also never look at my healing the same way again! Thank you Lord for such an awesome weekend I love you!

A Childhood Dream, Nightmare, or Something Better

 Posted by Hannah on February 18, 2010 at 2:00 PM comments (0)

Everyone dreams about something as a child. Some dream about being a doctor, nurse, or fireman. Others may dream of being a writer, painter, or designer. But what happens when your dream child is born with a neurological disorder that robs them of doing the basic things we do everyday without even thinking about it and probably take for grated.

It was a nice day and I was the only one at home. I decided to go spend the day with my friend Kayla at her house. She was so excited to see me because she wasn’t having a very good day. She was almost nine months pregnant and expecting a girl. She was really sore from some swelling. I made her some tea and convinced her to lie down and try to take a nap. A couple hours later she woke up to the start of labor contractions. I took her to the hospital and called her husband who was at work a couple of blocks from there.

After fourteen hours of labor she delivered Gracie. For Kayla and her husband Mike things couldn’t have been better. They finally had their baby girl and she couldn’t have more beautiful. This was a dream come true for Kayla and Mike because they both wanted a girl. However it was more so for Kayla because she had a close relationship with her mother growing up and always dreamed of being able to have the same type of relationship with a daughter someday. Kayla felt so blessed because not only was her dream hopefully going to become a reality it was going to happen with her first child.

Kayla and Mike were proud first time parents and loved their daughter Gracie with all of their heart. Gracie was now fifteen months old and as cute as could be. She was pretty normal, just a little quiet for her age. She was saying a word or two and walking around, but her parents thought that their daughter was developing normally. Unfortunately, things were about to change drastically and their lives turned upside down.

Suddenly awakened by a very unusual sound, which was coming from Gracie’s bedroom next door. Karen went into Gracie’s just to make sure she was ok only to find her in full body convulsions. Kayla started to scream and Mike came running. When he saw what was happening he went to get the phone and called the paramedics. At the hospital, they learned that Gracie had a grand mal seizure. When her parents told the doctor that their daughter was starting to have some difficulties eating, sitting up, and a few other things added on top of the seizure she had just had the doctor decided to run some tests. After a few hours of waiting the results of her blood work came back and the news was not good at all. The results showed that Gracie had a neurological disorder called Rett syndrome.

After spending a few days in the hospital for observation, Kayla and Mike were able to bring their daughter home. Now on medication, Gracie’s seizures were under control and they could try to develop some type of daily routine to make all of their lives easier. Kayla and Mike spent the next few months researching all they could find on Rett Syndrome and trying to understand what was happening to Gracie, and what could be in store for her in the days and years to come.

This of course was a huge adjustment for Kayla and Mike in one way or anther. For Kayla, she didn’t know what to think about it all because for one thing she was scared to think about what the future held for Gracie or the family. She also wasn’t sure if her childhood dream of having that close mother and daughter relationship would happen because of the fact that Gracie was losing all capabilities of talking, and losing control of her hands. But Kayla was determined to figure out a way to find the positive in what was happening.

As a couple, this was really a struggle in all areas. Now not only did they have a daughter, but a daughter that was going to need a lot of help. But in Kayla and Mike’s opinion, they knew when it boiled down to the bottom line there was only one thing that would help them through whatever lies ahead, and that was that they had a very strong faith and foundation in Jesus Christ. No matter what was currently happening or what was going to happen, they knew that it was all part of God’s plan for their lives and for Gracie’s life.

Over the next few years Gracie continued to grow and thrive, living everyday to its fullest. She is now is eight years old and goes to school and absolutely loves it. She loves being around kids her age and talking to them in her own way. She also likes being pushed around in her wheelchair really fast, and loves being outdoors. Oh, and by the way, she is totally a daddy’s girl. She is consistently trying to figure out her own ways to communicate easier.

Gracie is a girl with lots of heart and brings lots of love to those around her. She also has a very close relationship with her mom. They love to just sit and talk and even though she can’t talk verbally, her mom and dad both know what she’s saying by the expressions on her face, and the way her whole body reacts when they’re talking to her.

It was just another Sunday morning in church, which was another one of Gracie’s favorite places to be. They always sat in the back, because that is where the designated spots for people in wheelchairs were. However in the middle of worship Gracie got really excited because she saw people up front dancing and she started laughing. When Mike saw this, he decided to take her up front and dance with her, and from that point on that was her favorite thing to do at church.

Life kept moving on, and Gracie and her mom’s relationship kept growing day by day. Gracie was also growing but her body was keeping itself trapped in a box from doing the basic things that we take for granted, and yet they’re things that she could only watch other people do and dream about doing herself. They were all in church one Sunday and the pastor decided to have the family come up to the front for prayer because he felt like the Lord wanted to do something in that family’s life.

Little did anyone realize what was going to be just a small prayer in obedience to the Holy Spirit, would be much more than that. The pastor started praying and the rest of the church came up and surrounded them also praying. They weren’t sure what to pray for, other than healing for Gracie and emotional healing for her mom and dad, because they felt guilty for what happened to their daughter. So the church started praying, and five minutes, turned into twenty minutes, and after continually praying for an hour and a half the Holy Spirit came in room like a roaring lion. People kept praying, and all of a sudden Gracie’s eyes came into complete focus, and then she started having control of her hands and started clapping. At this point Kayla and Mike have been on the floor under the power of the Holy Spirit for at least ten minutes, and have no idea what is going on in the room or with Gracie. Still praying people were getting really excited for Gracie. A few minutes later the power of God came in the room again, but this time it was like a violent tidal wave, and was specifically targeted for Kayla, Mike, and Gracie. Gracie all of sudden started shouting at the top of her lungs as loud as she possibly could, “praise God” over and over again. Then she decided to have some people take her out of the chair on a total step of faith. When they got her out of her chair and let her feet touch the ground, she instantly stood straight up on her own. She decided to try taking a couple of steps, and after a little while she was running.

By this point, everyone is screaming with excitement. Then Gracie goes over to her parents who are finally starting to come out from under the power of the Holy Spirit and beginning to realize what has taken place. The three of them share a very emotional moment and hug each other with feelings that were indescribable.

Over the next few weeks what had happened in the church that day had spread all over the world. People were committing to lives to Christ everywhere they turned. As time went on the family grew closer together and were able to live life with a new outlook, and a much deeper, more passionate, and more intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, both as a family and individuals.

One night a few months later Kayla was sitting on the couch thinking, and she started to think about her life and the directions the Lord has taken her. She started to think about her childhood dream of having a daughter that she could share the same close mother and daughter relationship with as her and her mother had shared. Looking back on all that had happened since Gracie was born and everything that happened in the family because of having Gracie. She realized that whatever dream she had, may have seemed like it turned into a nightmare, but when all was said and done, it turned out to be something that God had in his plans all along and was much better than expected.

A Sister Like Bond

 Posted by Hannah on February 18, 2010 at 1:57 PM comments (0)

It was almost six years ago in June that I moved into the Granger’s home. I really wasn’t sure what to think except for the fact that I knew that my life was about to change in many different ways. What I didn’t expect was that one of the little girls they were caring for would make such a difference in my life, and that it would never be the same again!

It wasn’t until I had been living with them for a couple of months that I started to notice something about Jenaya that I hadn’t before. I happened to drive by her in my chair and saw her sitting just as content as could be watching TV. I decided to go sit next to her and talked to her for a little while, instead of it just being the occasional hi and by as she went and came home from school.

When I sat next to her and started talking to her she got so excited. As I just sat there and kept talking to her I noticed a spark in her eyes. It was as if she was living trapped in this box, because she was so excited to have me talking to her, but yet she couldn’t communicate verbally what she wanted to say. But I saw the spark in her eyes and I knew she was communicating in her own special way.

From that moment on I knew that her and I would be the best friends and have a sister like bond that would last forever. She would also inspire me to get involved in working with intervals with Rett Syndrome. Over the last six years I have met many individuals with Rett Syndrome that have inspired me, and have changed my life for the better in one way or another. I have extremely enjoyed these past six years getting to know you Jenaya, and just want to take this opportunity to thank you for letting me come along on what has been one of the most exciting adventures of my life. I look forward to plenty more. I love you so much!

We all thought that it would be a perfect time to get to know each other better. It was a very cold and snowy winter day. We hadn’t spent much time together at all since school started because of our busy schedules. The last time that we spent any time together was right before school was over last year. We had a lot to talk about since it had been quite a while since all of us had gotten together. We all decided to gather around the fire and drink hot chocolate while we talked. That’s when we realized that Karen was missing.

Everyone was scared because it was not like her to be late to a get-together. She normally would have called or found a way to get a hold of us if something had came up at the last second. Unfortunately that hadn’t happened and everyone had been there for at least two and a half hours. We all knew that something had to have happened considering that it wasn’t normal behavior for Karen not to let someone know that she wasn’t going to make it somewhere when she had already made plans to be somewhere at a certain time. We all decided to wait about another hour to see if she was just having trouble getting there because of the weather before we tried to look for her. However it was something much more serious than having trouble getting there because of the weather. All of us unfortunately would learn sooner than later how serious things could be.

After about another hour of just sitting, talking, and waiting around the fireplace the cell rang. Everyone in the room stopped dead in their tracks and froze. We all were wondering who would be on the other end of the line. Would it be Karen calling to say that she was still coming and that she had just gotten stuck in the snow? Who could it be? Katie went over to the table and answered the phone a couple of feet away. No one could have ever even imagined who it was going to be on the other end of the line, and the bad news that we were all about to hear. It was the news that everyone would have least expected to happen that would keep Karen from coming.

When Katie picked up the phone and said, “Hello” all of a sudden we heard a loud scream and uncontrollable sobbing. When she could compose herself and tell us what had happened, she told us that Karen had been in a horrible car accident and was going to be taken by life-flight to Dorn Becker Children’s Hospital in Portland because her injuries were too extensive to be cared for at Salem Memorial Hospital. We all decided to call the church and put her on the prayer chain and then drive to the hospital. When we finally arrived at the hospital, we were about to find out that things were a lot worse than we thought they were. We all ran into the hospital where we assembled ourselves into the elevator and then found ourselves talking to Karen’s mom. She continued to tell us how bad the accident and her injuries were. After we were finished talking with her mom, we all went into the room to see her. Unfortunately nothing could have prepared for what we had just heard and were about to see with our own eyes. Walking in the room as quietly as possible, we could not believe that we were looking at the same Karen that we had just seen in the mall two weeks before. As we stood there beside her bed praying for her, we all knew that there would have to be a miracle performed by God in order for her to be able to completely recover from all of her injuries and be normal again. Her injuries consisted of a shattered pelvis, four broken ribs, plus her third and fourth vertebrae were fractured, and her brain was swelling. She needed a miracle. A small one had already been given to all of us and we all knew it because of the fact that we were able to stay with her at all times during the day or night. Normally only the immediate family would be allowed in the ICU, but by the grace, love, and mercy of God, we were all allowed into her room without any problems. Karen’s condition remained stable, but serious throughout the night. Unfortunately things were about to take a dramatic turn for the worse in a way that no one ever would have expected.

All of a sudden beeping monitors and the noise from all the doctors and nurses trying to revive Karen awakened us all. Her heart had stopped beating and her left lung had collapsed. They were able to stabilize her, but they were forced to put a breathing tube down her throat due to her collapsed lung. By this point, Karen’s Mom dropped down to her knees crying out to God in desperation for her daughter’s life. Feeling helpless, we all left the hospital for the first time in at least thirty-six hours to try and find something that we would be able to do for her. Katie came up with the idea of starting a massive prayer chain just for her. In almost five hours, there were close to one thousand people following us back to the hospital. They all camped out all around the hospital and they were determined to stay there and pray for her until God answered their prayers no matter how long it would take.

Three more weeks went by and Karen had four more episodes with her heart and lung, but every time they were able to bring her back. After the fourth time though her right lung had also collapsed. Things were not looking good at all now because her condition was considered critical. Everyone that was helping with the prayer chain continued to pray for her even though things seemed like they were just going to keep getting worse, and there wasn’t any real answers to the prayers that they were able to see. Four more weeks went by with very little improvement. Things were about to change though. It was just another day in the ICU and everything seemed like it was just going to stay the same as it had been. The doctor came in later that afternoon and was talking to everyone about what to do next and he was saying that he wasn’t sure what to do because she wasn’t responding to any of the medications that they were giving her for her injuries. Things were about to change drastically.

Things changed so quickly over the next twelve hours that it had all of the doctors and nurses that were involved with Karen’s case standing there beside her in complete amazement and astonishment. Shortly after the doctor left the room that day, Karen suddenly started breathing on her own for the first time in over a month. The doctors were able to take the breathing tube out, and she was able to maintain healthy oxygen levels on her own but the miracle didn’t stop there. Later that day, they gave Karen a cat scan and some x-rays to check on the swelling in her brain and the other internal injuries. The results were astonishing in more ways than one.

The CAT scan showed that the swelling in her brain had dramatically gone down, and the two vertebras in her back were completely back to normal which meant that she would be able to walk again someday. The x-rays showed that there was no lung damage, the shattered pelvis was perfectly fine, and the four broken ribs would heal on their own overtime. By late that evening, she was able to talk and try eating something for the first time in what seemed like an eternity, but it had only been seven weeks.

Over the next few days, things continued to improve. In addition to the miracle that had already taken place, people in the hospital realized that it was God who made it possible for her to completely recover from all of her injuries, because there was no medical explanation for why she would be doing this well, but especially this soon.

Many doctors and nurses decided to give their lives to God and make a very dramatic change in the way that they do things in the hospital, and in their own lives because of the miracles that had taken place in Karen’s life. Karen was released from the hospital two weeks later and went home along with all of the other people that were praying for her and her family the entire time. She continued to thrive and heal after she returned home and was with the rest of her family and friends. As the weeks passed, she had a new appreciation for the simple things in life. God had also given her a better understanding of his love for her and what he is capable of doing, especially when people come together and are able to understand how important prayer is, and the power that comes from it