Mom has been a Christian for so many years I lose count and she talks with God daily. She has been our family prayer warrior for she prays daily for her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. Oh yes, Mom is 94 years young.

Mom became ill with pneumonia on Dec. 19, 2007. While in the hospital, she got MRSA. After many days on antibiotics, her desire to eat became less and less for her food just didn’t taste good. She began to lose some weight.

On New Year’s Eve Mom was sent to Heartland to begin her step down program. She was exercised daily in order for her to gain strength to live on her own once again. After one week she suffered a heart attack and was sent back to the hospital to begin another journey.

Mom was so bad that we thought she was going to die and so did her doctors. This time was we knew it was different. She was sent there to die. Her chart read DO NOT RESUSITATE, COMFORT CARE ONLY. Mom’s heart was working at 30% and her kidneys were functioning at 15%. Everything seemed to be shutting down.

After much discussion with the social services director at Heartland, we asked what it would take to continue Mom on Medicare - EXERCISE was her answer. How does someone who is dying exercise? Mom was started on her exercise program that day and the nurses helped her move her arms up and over her chest. She repeated it twice. This wore her out.

Although Mom slept many hours of the day, she began the road of recovery. The nurses helped her in and out of bed, onto the portable pot, back into bed. More exercising was encouraged. When she began to complain we knew Mom we getting better - slowly but surely.

Dawn, her daughter, had hip replacement surgery a few weeks ago. For her recovery time, she spent it at Heartland two doors down from Mom. Dawn and Mom ate lunch and dinner together; were able to exercise about the same time; and Mom began to move around on her own for she wanted to check on her daughter. She was using a walking wheelchair. She was able to use her legs and make that wheelchair go where she wanted it to go.

Mom has become spoiled. The nurses had washed her up since Dec. 19, 2007. What a surprise when she was given a basin of warm water and told to wash herself. She got angry. What did they mean, wash up on your own. She’s getting better. She’s complaining.

About five weeks ago, Mom was able to walk with her walker (a nurse by her side) from her room to the exercise room and back. Mom’s arms and legs are back to normal. Her weight has dropped down to 118# - a 30# loss. Mom states she feels better with less weight. Her appetite has returned. She is eating the food prepared by Heartland. Of course, she still makes multiple requests of her family.

An example: She has used Pepsodent toothpaste for many years. When she had sent Dawn to buy her a tube of Pepsodent Toothpaste, she found out it wasn’t sold anymore. She complained so much to anyone who would listen that I went on the internet and found her Pepsodent toothpaste and ordered 6 huge tubes of toothpaste. That should last her for awhile.

This past Friday Mom walked from her room to the exercise room; exercised 30 minutes; walked on down the hall about 50 feet and walked all the way back to her room using her walker. At this point in time, we do not know whether her heart has repaired itself to be at a higher percentage of usage but we do know her kidneys have repaired themselves.

Yesterday, Sunday March 30th 2008, all of her immediate family helped Mom celebrate her 95th birthday. As many of her grandchildren were present and several of her great grandchildren came to share in the excitement of Grandma’s birthday. The expression on Mom’s face was worth it all. Her eyes were filled with tears as she took in each and every individual. She just held out her arms for each person and when one hesitated, she called them by name. Come, give me a hug.

Each family had their picture taken with Mom. We invited several of her “old” friends and they spent an hour chitchatting as we women do.

This is a miracle in the making. Mom had stated in January that God had forgotten her for she was praying to die. God had NOT forsaken Mom. He knew what was best and He will take her home in His time, not hers.

What a joy! God cares so much for all of us. Some of us are taken immediately, others still have work to do and He doesn’t care what we look like, how old we are, how frail or anything like what we humans look at, He looks at our heart; He alone picks the time for us to come home. He still has much for Mom to do. She had another great great grandchild come into this world last week and she was able to hold and cuddle this baby this past Saturday. She has another child to pray for.

Respectfully submitted,
Tobey Anne Craft