Written by: Nicolene Meiring
Article source: JOY! Magazine
At the start of 2023, a courageous woman embarked on a 21-day Daniel fast, seeking a divine connection and clarity for the year ahead. Little did she know that this spiritual journey would take an unexpected turn, leading her through the shadows of illness to the brilliant light of a miraculous recovery. Nicolene shares her raw and unfiltered account of a battle for life, a testament to the resilience of the human spirit, and the unyielding grace of God.
On the 9th of January 2023, my bestie and I started the new year with a 21-day Daniel fast. We wanted to acknowledge God by putting Him first, starting the year with fasting and prayer, seeking His face, asking Him for guidance, and conveying our prayer requests to Him. I vividly remember that one of my prayer requests was for God to heal me supernaturally, since I was struggling with a chronic lung disease.
A critical turn of events
On the 14th day of our fast, my health took a severe downturn. Overwhelmed by breathlessness and exhaustion, I found myself admitted to the Panorama Mediclinic’s ICU with pneumonia, facing critically low stats. On January 23, 2023, the pulmonologist delivered a grave message to my husband, forewarning that the night might claim me as my lungs, kidneys, and a portion of my liver struggled. The doctor’s words were, “It doesn’t look good. You need to come in and bring Nicolene’s parents and family, she is not going to make it through the night.”
The depths of a coma
My family was shocked and traumatised when they received the news. For two agonising weeks, I existed in a coma, with pipes and machines monitoring me. My son, a boy with an intellectual disability, did not understand what was happening to me. As his mother, it is heartbreaking to imagine my boy just looking at me, lying there amidst the mechanical hum of pipes and machines.
A symphony of prayers
My family informed our pastor and others of the situation. My family, friends, and the community rallied in prayer for my critical condition. The doctor also had to put a “trachie” in my neck (a tracheostomy). They asked my husband for permission to make the small hole in my neck so that I could breathe. Despite exhaustive efforts, my body remained tethered to machines, a canvas of desperate medical interventions.
A divine awakening
On February 6, 2023, after a two-week coma, God graciously opened my eyes – a miraculous testimony to His unfathomable grace. It was such a miracle! Praise and honour to our King! Jesus is alive and He still performs miracles! God stepped in and touched me! Though I regained consciousness, my body was a mere shell – I realised that I could not move, I could not talk, I could not walk, I could not move my fingers, and my hands and feet were swollen. But praise God, I was awake from a 14-day coma. Hallelujah!
Journey of recovery
The doctors and nurses took really good care of me, supported by God’s strength and wisdom. The nurses washed and cleaned me daily; I could not do anything for myself. Physiotherapy became a daily ritual during my extended stay in the ICU. A month later, I transitioned to the general ward, relearning to walk with a walking ring as machines gradually retreated, leaving only the catheter and oxygen pipes. I also started to sit in a wheelchair and, since the small hole in my neck started healing and getting smaller, my speech also improved.
From rehab to home
After ten days in the general ward, the doctor transferred me to a “step down place” – Spescare Rehabilitation Centre. Here, amidst daily physiotherapy and occupational therapy, every passing day brought incremental improvements. The caretakers and the therapists took good care of me. On March 24, 2023, I experienced the privilege of returning home – a day etched in memory with tears, joy, and laughter, only made possible by the grace of God. It was a day that I will never forget.
An ode to gratitude
Appreciate each other and appreciate your health – because that is your wealth. Appreciate what you have and don’t focus on what you don’t have, God is gracious! He is good and He is still performing miracles!
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Date published: 31/12/2023
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