felt something funny in my chest that caused me some concern. I went ahead and did the run,
but later that day I started choking while eating a tangerine (orange).
This made me very sick and resulted in a cough that persisted for several days. A friend of
mine, Arlene, who is a doctor, recommended that I go see another doctor that she was familiar
with. After examination, he indicated that he didn’t believe that I was asthmatic, but that he
detected a murmur which indicated a heart issue and he needed the right test done to confirm.
I did the first of the tests ordered which was a chest x-ray. The result of the x-ray confirmed
his suspicion and showed that my heart was severely enlarged. Another procedure confirmed
that there was a large hole in my heart. What the technicians saw left them stunned. They were
amazed that I was still alive with such heart defects. I was myself amazed, knowing that had
I trained for and completed 9 half marathons while living with a defective heart and damaged
lungs. One thing was clear however – urgent heart surgery was required!!
I went home and immediately got into action which included planning a trip to the doctors
overseas.
I arrived in Miami along with my best friend Donna to meet the recommended cardiology con-
sultant. After a series of tests and discussions he recommended a minimally invasive procedure
that he claimed had been successfully used and would work perfectly in my case. I explained
the recommended procedure to my friend Arlene and she assured me it was a good choice,
and so I prepared for the surgery. On the morning of the surgery, as I was being prepped to be
wheeled into the operating theatre, I received an odd call from my friend Arlene. She proceeded
to tell me I should not do the procedure, and went on to explain that she and her husband (he’s
also a doctor) were praying the night before –the message they got from God was that if I did
the procedure I would die.
I explained to her that the nurse was standing over me, waiting to take me into the operating
theatre, but she continued to insist that I refuse the procedure. I ended the call because the nurse
was insisting that it was time to go.
The nurse wheeled me to the nurses’ station where she stopped to pick up my docket, and I was
lying there waiting – still a bit confused by Arlene’s call. Then the nurse returned and informed
me that the doctors just called - they were cancelling the procedure. I immediately began to
cry because I was now more confused and overwhelmed. I was taken back to the room and my
friend Donna who was with me tried to console me with little success. The doctor finally came
in and explained that my situation was very unusual and never seen by them before. He said
that last night six top surgeons from Jackson’s Memorial stayed up reviewing my case until
1:30 am (the same time Arlene and her husband would have been praying) and decided not to
proceed because of the risk and likelihood that the procedure could result in death. He therefore
recommended open heart surgery instead.
As reported by the doctors, the operation was difficult. The surgeon’s report indicated that
because of the extensive damage to my heart, they had to remove it from my body so that the
repairs could have been done. Thankfully the surgery was a success.
Recovery was extremely challenging – but again my determined spirit got me to the point where
I braved the associated discomfort and pain, and trained for and completed a half-marathon in
December of the same year as my surgery. I have since completed 7 more half-marathons.
The truth is we are all capable of more than we can imagine…People are amazed when I tell
them about my heart condition and the surgery. What is more miraculous was the cancellation
of the original procedure that would have taken me to death’s door. The fact that my friends
had the revelation plus the doctors cancelling is nothing short of the fact that God has me in
his hands.
Everything I have been through is bigger than I am, is bigger than my little human mind can
fathom, and it is the unfolding of God’s work. Last year I supported a team through two sui-
cides, one murder, a team member’s imprisonment, and a mentee of mine also committed sui-
cide. Throughout everything I realise that God’s plans for my life are far bigger than anything I
can begin to conceive. I am here to serve and to impact lives, and that is mostly what I do now,
especially as a mentor and Empowerment Coach, guiding and igniting greatness in others. Ac-
cepting the truth that I am fearfully and wonderfully made has shown me my truth, which I now
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