December 27: A Day Of Good Tidings...

The following day, December 27th was my younger brother, Obi's birthday. I hoped he would call so I could wish him a happy birthday. I would have loved to call him but he and his family were in the States for Christmas.

Kechi was looking fine that morning. She was definitely aware of our presence and was moving her legs. She had also started scrunching up her face whenever we came in to see her. I spoke to her and she calmed down, and I began to minister to her spirit the love of Jesus.

She was due to for surgery that afternoon for wound cleaning and dressing. I prayed that there were no new infections. When we got back to the hotel, there was the, now usual, accommodation mix up between ISOS and the hotel regarding my departure date and so we could not get into the room. I called ISOS and they promised to resolve the problem. Meanwhile, the hotel reprogrammed my key card and we gained access.

While we were getting some rest, I got a call from a Mrs. Obi from the South African embassy in Lagos. She wanted to know where Mike would stay when he came and I gave her the name and address of the hotel. Mike later called from the embassy and informed me that he might be leaving for Johannesburg the next day. Apparently, the Office of the Presidency in South Africa called the South African Embassy in Lagos and paved the way for a speedy issuance of his visa.

It turned out to be a day of good calls because soon after, ISOS called me to say that they had sorted out my accommodation problems and I should not worry about it. They also wanted to know when my visa was going to expire so that they would arrange for its renewal.

By this time, I was so overwhelmed with God's continuous grace to me that I just fell on my bed and gave Him praises. One of the songs of praise we had sang while praying came to me:

“All the glory must be to The Lord

Only He is worthy of our praise

No man on earth should take glory to himself

All the glory must be to The Lord.”

To be Continued...

Johannesburg: Depending Completely on God...

Already, rumors were circulating about interviews I was supposed to have given and I did not really need the distraction.

The man called back and said he could not see Kechi but wanted to come and see me. He came to the hotel and told me that he was a Catholic and would book masses for Kechi. I thanked him and he left.

Dorothy had already told me that if he asked what help the embassy could render, I should ask for transportation to and from the hospital, which was proving quite expensive. But the man never asked what I needed. On the other hand, he may have just come on his own.

I thanked the Lord for the lessons I had been learning from Him. I was learning to depend entirely on Him. He was making provision for all my needs and He was going to continue to do so.

Dorothy was livid that the Nigerian government had not made any effort to help out in any way.

It was really very strange and disconcerting, but I refused to dwell on it because the bible says in Philippians 4:v19, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (KJV). So, like the bible says, it is well.

Anyway, Mike and I agreed that we did not want anyone getting political mileage out of Kechi's situation. It is God that will be glorified and not man, no governor or president. God alone! So I absolutely refused to be bitter...

To be continued...

Back At The Hospital...

Back at the hospital, Kechi's blood pressure gave me some concern. It was high for her at 153/84. The sister agreed with me that it was high for her age, but nothing to worry about as long as it remained under 160. Her heart rate was fluctuating between 120 and 150 and the sisters said that was because of when they moved her or turned her, and when she heard my voice. I decided to be quiet. I just sang some of the songs she liked very softly and I knew she was listening to me.

I noticed that her stomach appeared to be distended and I brought it to the notice of the sisters. They said that they were keeping an eye on it, and suspected that it was because she had not stooled for about two days.

Kechi was given a blood transfusion earlier that day because her HB level was low and the doctor was awaiting the result of her blood test before deciding whether she would need more blood or not.

At some point during the visit, one of the equipment for IV infusion of antibiotics started to malfunction. They got a new one, installed it, and it continued to beep. They changed the line itself, and it continued to beep. At this point, I bowed my head and prayed. The bible says that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. That included that machine. While the sisters were working on the line, baffled as to what could be the problem, I spoke to the machine and commanded it in the name of Jesus to cease its malfunction and do its job.

As I was praying, the sister put in the line, switched it on and it started working. I gave glory to God at once. The nurses, not having heard me as I prayed under my breath, were relieved, because at this point, three of them had tried and had not succeeded.

To skeptics, it may simply be a simple matter of a malfunctioning machine that was properly fixed. But to me, it was just more evidence of the awesome resurrection power of Jesus within me. If this power could raise the dead, then what was a machine? Brother Bisong once said that we have a power greater than atomic or nuclear power within us and I believe it.

I started to pray very hard that Kechi would have improved remarkably by the time Mike came. I was afraid of what seeing her in her current state would do to him. But on second thoughts, I felt that maybe it was important that he saw how sick she was in order to appreciate just how great a miracle God wrought in our lives.

When we got back to the hotel, a man called me and said he was supposedly from the Nigerian Embassy and that he was waiting at the hospital to see Kechi. I had no idea of who he was and I called the ICU and told them that absolutely no one could see Kechi if I was not there. I had to be very careful and protect my child. 

To be continued...

After Christmas, 2005...

Mike was staying at Ulo's and I spoke to him. He said that he had been surrounded with love from my family and he was very grateful. He told me that the MD of Sosoliso Airlines had asked for a private meeting and that Chidi, Ulo's husband would go with him. It had been a long, eventful day...

“O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever.” - 1 Chronicles 16:34 (KJV)

The day after Christmas, December 26th, I woke up around 4am with severe stomach cramps. I had no idea what was going on, so I just prayed and tried to go back to sleep. Apparently, I succeeded because next thing I knew, it was morning and I woke up with a calm stomach and a song on my lips. Then followed a period of praise, worship and thanksgiving. Dorothy joined me and gratitude just poured out of us. It was wonderful. We marveled at the grace of God and how He is lifted up, exalted and magnified through the miracle of Kechi's life.

I received a call from my mom as we left for the hospital. She told me that she was going to take Tara and her best friend, Kamara, to the cinema. I was so grateful to my family. They had been with me from the word go, an awesome support group.

When we got to the hospital, we were told that Kechi's surgery had been moved to the next day. Kechi was even more active that morning, moving her legs and head around. The sister told us that Kechi had started to resist them when they tried to turn her over to clean her. They believed that it was because she was in pain. They had also noticed that she kept moving her lips,  trying to say something, as if she was aware of what was going on around her.

This made me even more determined to continue to explain to her in detail everything going on with her body.

At some point during the visit, Dorothy became very concerned about the noise the nurses in the ICU were making. They constantly gathered to talk quite loudly, making the unit very noisy. We agreed that this was probably not the way any ICU should be run. Dorothy decided to write about it and drop it in the suggestion box but I did not intend to complain until I saw negligence in the way Kechi was being cared for, and I had not seen that yet. The way I saw it, medical staff had to have some kind of armor against all the death and near-death they saw constantly. So long as Kechi was being well taken care of and they answered my numerous questions, even when I was sure they thought I was being a nuisance, I was fine.

I had handed everything over to God, including the care- givers, and I knew He was in control of Kechi's life.

Christmas Day, 2005, Part 4...

Kechi appeared to be much more aware, opening her left eye, obviously trying to focus, and mouthing something that, knowing Kechi, looked like “Mummy”.

I responded at once, telling her I was there. Then it occurred to me that if Kechi was coming out of sedation, she would be very confused, and would be wondering where she was, and what was going on with her body. I began to explain to her where she was, why she was not able to talk and how she had been in an accident. This was the start of something I continued until Kechi came off the coma. Besides, Kechi was always the kind of person who needed to know exactly what was going on.

Later that evening, Brother Dotun and his family came and took me to their fellowship at Hillbrow. I had not heard good things about that area of Johannesburg, but it was nice to fellowship among the brethren once again.

I was fifteen minutes late for the evening visit, but Kechi appeared to be fine and was still moving her legs and eyes. I asked the matron on duty if that would cause her any harm and she said no, it was actually a good sign. It meant that she would find it easier to move at the end of her stay in ICU, or when she had to be weaned off the heavy-duty drugs she was on at that time.

Mom called that night and she had Chizitara with her for the Christmas holidays.

We had all agreed not to tell her anything about Kechi so she believed that Kechi and I had to travel to Lagos together for Kechi to take an exam. But people talked around her and she was beginning to piece things together. Mom decided it was time to tell her the truth, especially since neither Kechi nor I were in Lagos when she got there. Mom said she told her that Kechi had an accident and was badly hurt and so I had to take her to a big hospital in South Africa. Tara then wanted to speak with Kechi and Mom told her Kechi was still too weak but she could speak to her later.

I spoke to Tara then and she thanked me for the things I bought for her. I reassured her that her sister was going to be fine. Mom told me not to worry about Tara. But something that could only be of God had been happening. It was as if God wiped Tara out from my mind. If I ever dwelt on her for a single moment, the pain of leaving her behind would have be too much. So it was as if God was saying to me, concentrate all your energies on Kechi, I am taking care of Tara. I did not for one moment worry about Tara...

To be continued...

Christmas Day, 2005 Part 3...

Kechi was such a tactile person that she always used to hug and hold onto me as often as she could throughout the day. To be with her and not be able to touch and hug her had been so hard for me and I really cherished that moment. She responded by moving her legs. I remembered that she is very ticklish, though, and after some time I stopped because her pulse rate was going up. 

It was beyond thrilling to be able to touch Kechi even a little, when I yearned to hold her in my arms and soothe away her pains. I gave God glory for that opportunity. Dorothy jokingly said that she hoped I was not going to faint from touching Kechi. It was a special moment. 

When  we  got  back  to  the  hotel,  Dorothy  treated  us  to Christmas lunch. It was a buffet and we had far too much to eat. After lunch, Magdalene, Layi and her husband, Francis, Ifeoma Nwosa and her husband, along with two of their friends from Zambia and Zimbabwe came for a visit. We all sat at the hotel lobby, praying and singing. It was wonderful. Ifeoma and Magdalene brought food which we kept for supper.

Then Magdalene took me aside. “Ijeoma, “she asked me, “Are you mourning your daughter?” I was startled. “No!” “Then why do you go around looking like you are? Why don't you do up your hair nicely? Why are you not wearing lipstick? Why are you not looking like a woman who is celebrating God's gift to her?” She reminded me that she had cancer and yet people who did not already know would never guess. She told me to powder my face, put on my make up, and celebrate God, Who had done so much for me. I was deeply moved and thanked her.

When we went back to the hospital that evening, Dorothy and I were wearing makeup...

To be continued...

Christmas Day, 2005, Part 2...

When Dorothy and I went in to see Kechi, her temperature was fine, her pulse and blood pressure were fine and she was stable. That magic word.

The plastic surgeon, Dr. Slabbert, (Dr. Nel was on vacation) had seen her and was going to have her back in the OR the next day to clean her wounds and check on their state. The physician, Dr. Pahad, examined her and said she was better than the day before and the infection finally seemed to be under control. God be praised!

Kechi was super-responsive that day, moving her legs when we talked to her, moving her head, and even trying to open her left eye. I asked permission to touch her and the nurse said yes. So I had to kit up - disposable apron, gloves - and look for a patch of uninjured skin to touch. 

I finally settled on a spot on her shoulder and stroked it gently. It was such an awesome moment for me. That was the first time I had touched Kechi since the accident...

To be continued...

Christmas Day, 2005...

I spent my praying time thanking God for the best Christmas gift He could have given me - my daughter's life. But I also had a burden in my heart and in my spirit for all the families with grief instead of joy on that day. I prayed for God to continue to comfort them and my mind kept going back to the seconds before the impact, when they must have realized that the plane was going to crash. 

I was probably punishing myself, but I kept praying that they went to Jesus without pain and agony. I even asked Jesus to promise me that they were all with Him. By this time, I was quite upset and melancholic, and went downstairs for breakfast with a heavy heart.

I was now missing Mike in earnest and was glad he would be coming soon. I prayed that Kechi would look better so that he would be able to handle seeing her.

I had been dehydrated for a few days, following a bout of diarrhea, which explained why I was feeling so weak, so I forced myself to eat, took some drugs I got from the pharmacy, as well as the multivitamins Betty had bought for me since the previous week, which I had ignored. I gave myself a serious talking-to. I could not afford to fall ill, so I prayed for healing for myself...

To be continued...

Thankful For My Daughter And For The Days Unfolding...

Christmas Day, 2005...

I spent my praying time thanking God for the best Christmas gift He could have given me - my daughter's life.

But before I continue with this story, I thought I should share this video on Kechi's graduation speech. I hope it inspires you... Do let me know what you think.

"Christmas Day 2005", to be continued...

Pause The Past, Basking In The Present…

My daughter Kechi... yes, the one all the testimony I am telling is about, did a post on her facebook page a few days ago. I thought it was so profound, and I felt I should share it here to bless you. Click here to like her page on facebook, I am CERTAIN you won't regret it.

HEY GUYS! 

Been a whiiiiiile huh lol, sorry for the extended absence… I was just thinking. 

Exactly 10 years ago today I'd been awake from a coma for only a couple months and I couldn't move or speak, I couldn't even breathe without tubes down my throat. Now, I'm lying in my bed, binge-watching Criminal Minds, and my only immediate concern is that I need to stop being so lazy and start working out.

Life is so weird, isn't it? 10 years ago, the doctors in South Africa were sure I wouldn't survive what they called 'a huge insult to her body'. Today I'm a college graduate, about to start my Masters in the fall, God willing.

Sometimes when it's dark all around you, it's all you can see. Light seems non-existent, or maybe it's there but it's just so, so far away or so, so small. Press on! Press on because when you give up, it's just over and done, but when you don't… the possibilities are endless!

I can't tell you how many times my faith has pulled me from the brink of hopelessness in the past 11 years, and how many painful things I believed would be a part of my life forever that aren't an issue today. There was a time my scars would never stop itching as they healed, and it drove me mad 24/7. I cried every single day for years because of it. 

Today it takes about 2, 3 days off my drugs before I feel even a slight discomfort. I didn't see this kind of progress in my future 6 years ago, not to talk of 10, but here I am.

I don't know who this might encourage or IF this will encourage anyone at all, but I sincerely pray it does…

Johannesburg: New Chapter, More Support... Part 2

After a nap, we went back to the hospital for the 4pm visit. As usual, we prayed and sang to Kechi. It did not look as if she would go into surgery that day, after all. The doctor had two patients before her and the nurses thought that she would probably go in the next day. Her temperature has gone up a bit as her poor body battled infection. But I held on to God, believing Him to still be firmly in control.

I called Ulo and told her of the hotel room change and we reaffirmed that what God was doing was bigger than we realized. But I think that at that point we were beginning to know that the work ahead which God was preparing for was an awesome one.

When Dorothy and I returned for the night visit, Kechi had been taken to the theatre. They wheeled her in around 8.00pm. Dorothy was in tears when she came to the waiting room to tell me that Kechi was back in her room. She had gone to a more private waiting room to pray, a room they called the “grieving room”. I had resolved when I heard the name of that room never to go there again. I would never grieve I would only thank God.

Anyway, on her way out of the room, she saw them wheeling Kechi back to the ICU. I jokingly told her that she should go back home if she was going to cry every time Kechi went to the theatre and she assured me that they were tears of relief and thankfulness, not fear. I totally understood. She was trying so hard to be strong and I know it was not easy for her seeing Kechi like that. After two weeks, it was still hard for me to see Kechi like that.

When we were allowed to see her, I noticed they had changed the dressings on her face. The dressings were still soaked through with blood, but God had given me the strength to look upon Kechi in that state without falling into despair.

Her blood pressure was fine, but her body temperature was below normal, and they covered her with a warm air blanket. We prayed over Kechi and left.

Ike and Betty came over to the hotel to visit and Betty insisted on coming to take me out after my morning visit with Kechi. My prayers that night were full of praises and thanksgiving to my Awesome God!

To be continued...

Johannesburg: New Chapter, More Support...

“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

1 Cor. 10:13 (KJV)

Dorothy, my sister-in-law, arrived in Johannesburg on the morning of December 23rd. I directed her to the hotel and decided to wait for her so that we could go to the hospital together. As soon as Dorothy saw me, she collapsed into tears. It was quite an emotional moment as we both cried for a while. When she freshened up, we went off to the hospital.

Kechi appeared to have passed a peaceful night. Her blood pressure was fine, temperature normal. 

Dorothy was wonderful. She immediately began to talk to Kechi, reading scripture to her, and even making jokes to her. Kechi responded by moving her head from side to side and we calmed her down.

The sister came in to inform me that Kechi's surgery had been moved up to the afternoon and I had to sign yet another consent form. I noticed that her face and arms were bleeding.

When we left the ICU, we met Kathryn, Sarah's mother. Sarah and Erin and others were in the bus that had an accident in Port Harcourt. We prayed together and encouraged each other. When we got back to the hotel, God moved again.

The front desk called to tell me that they wanted to move me into a room with two beds at the same price, because of Dorothy, and would move me back into a single room when Dorothy left. This was pretty overwhelming to me. I did not know what to say. We moved to the room next door and I simply knelt down and thanked God for His favors...

To be continued...

Then God Started To Move Again...

Upon getting back to the hotel, Elsie called to inform me that her friend, Susan, had called the South African Embassy in Nigeria to arrange for Mike's visa. She asked me for Mike's phone number so she could tell him how to go about it. 

After about thirty minutes, Elsie called back to say that both she and Susan had called Mike and that the Charge d'Affairs of the embassy had also called Mike and told him to forget about getting any letter from Shell for his visa and instead to get to the embassy before 12noon the next day, Friday, December 23rd and collect his visa. They eventually agreed for Tuesday 27th, since Mike would be unable to make it into Lagos before noon because of the Christmas weekend rush at the airports, and Monday 26th was a public holiday.

I was amazed. Mike had been trying so hard to get a letter from Shell that he would take to the embassy to get his visa, and now he was being offered the visa. Could God be any more awesome?

Later as I was praying, I admitted to God that it was very painful seeing Kechi lying there, broken and bruised. Just then I was reminded of His Son on the cross, broken and bruised. I heaved a huge sigh and went to bed...

To be continued...

Johannesburg: God Remained Faithful...

Kechi had been given two pints of blood to bring up her blood pressure but it remained low. Her temperature and heart rate went down slightly, and the sister on duty had sent for the doctor to take a look at Kechi.

I noticed that Kechi's eyes were slightly open. I sang to her and read from the scriptures to her. As I prayed, I told her to keep fighting, we all loved her, Jesus loved her, and she should believe that she would not die, but would live and testify of the goodness of God.

I “spoke” to her blood pressure and commanded it to rise to normal by the authority contained in the name of Jesus. I knew this would be the case by the time I came for the night visit.

God did not fail me. When I came back at night, the blood pressure was normal and her temperature had come down even more. Wasn't God awesome? I bowed my head in thanksgiving and praise...

To be continued...

Johannesburg: A Chance To Minister God's Love...

God had placed it in my heart to approach the couple with "the little baby" and ask her name so that the church back home would pray for her, and I was determined to do it that day... I did not get a chance to speak to the parents of the baby. I think that the fear of rejection was holding me back.

Back at the hotel, Mom and Chinedu called me and we spent time talking about depending fully and totally on God. Chinedu also asked me to pray for the grace to minister God's love to others in the hospital. He stressed that it should be led by God and therefore be totally natural, not forced. If God wanted to, He would present the opportunity.

As I walked into the hospital for the afternoon visit, I found myself face to face with the baby's mother in the corridor. I stopped her and told her I was praying for her baby. She smiled and said she appreciated that. I went on to tell her that I wanted my church family back home to also pray, so would she mind giving me her baby's name? “Marlee”, she said, and thanked me again. Not so hard to obey the Lord, after all...

To be continued...

Johannesburg: Feeling Closer And Closer To God...

When I went in to see Kechi, her temperature was high again, due to the infection. Her blood pressure was also quite low. This was definitely one of the “down” periods we were warned about in burns patients. The infection was raging through her body but I was not moved because the blood of Jesus was also all over and inside her. I was trusting in the Lord.

When I spoke with Dr. Pahad, he admitted that this was the period they got most concerned about in burns patients when the infection has grabbed a hold. But he was also confident that they were dealing with it.

As soon as I walked into Kechi's room, I got the urge to say the Psalm that begins thus over Kechi, Give thanks to the Lord; for He is good: Because His mercy endureth forever.

After praying, I got out my bible and asked God for help in locating the Psalm. I flipped open the bible to Psalms, turned a page and there it was, Psalm 118.

I would like to note here that by this time, I was no longer surprised at this sort of thing happening. I was daily feeling closer and closer to God and without much thought, I was relying on Him to make things happen for me not just the big stuff, even little stuff like helping me find exactly where relevant verses were located in the bible. This happened very often and has continued till today. Sometimes, I woke with a verse in my heart, opened my bible, and there it was!

Back to that day, I recited the whole Psalm aloud while standing over Kechi, and it ministered greatly to me. I loved verse 4,“Let them now that fear the Lord say, that His mercy endureth forever” and Verse 17, I declared to Kechi every day since the plane crash,“I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.”

To be continued...

Johannesburg: In God's Hand...

I got ready to leave and was concerned that the sister on night duty was a bit elderly and I was worried that she might not be alert, especially with Kechi's fever. But I surrendered Kechi to God and left.

At 2.00 a.m., Eunice, my sister-in-law, called me frantically from America, saying that someone had said the papers reported that Kechi had passed away. I figured it must be the same news that Chike referred to. I reassured her that Kechi was fine, but she was frantic, telling me to find a Mountain of Fire church and get anointing oil to put on Kechi and make pronouncements to her that she will not die. Realizing how upset she was, I promised to make enquiries. I rebuked Satan, covered Kechi with the blood of Jesus, and went back to sleep.

I woke up determined not to rush to the hospital, or phone them in reaction to Eunice's call the previous night. I had made the decision to trust Him and lean on Him completely, and I trusted Him to keep His word concerning Kechi. I would leave for the hospital at the normal time, have breakfast in the hospital cafeteria, as usual, then visit Kechi at 11.00am, as usual.

This was harder than I thought, and it was not made easier when Eunice called again around 9.00am. I knew she thought I had seen Kechi already and without telling her that I had not, I assured her that Kechi was fine...

 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”

Proverbs 3 :5 & 6 (KJV)

To be continued...