The word of God healed my aunt of dementia

The word of God healed my aunt of dementia

Three hours and 33 minutes. I don’t think I’ve ever talked that long on a phone call, but last week I did, and I enjoyed every minute talking with my Aunt Carole. 

I adore Aunt Carole. In her 70s now, she has been on fire for God for most of her life; I’ve seen her persevere through ferocious, life storms that would make the average person throw in the towel and give up, but she never wavered in her faith. She has always been an avid lover and student of the Bible and a gifted deliverance minister for over 40 years. As I grow in my own deliverance ministry, I love to glean wisdom from her. However, a few years ago, a brain tumour was discovered, and she endured a gruelling surgery. As a result, confusion set in, and she was diagnosed with dementia. After that, it was difficult to have the deep conversations I had always enjoyed with her. She got off subject, forgot what she was talking about, and made little sense. 

As Aunt Carole’s condition worsened, our phone conversations got shorter, less frequent and, in all honesty, I went a year without talking to her. But last week she called, and something was different! We talked for quite a while and her memories were sharp, she stayed on topic and she talked with amazing clarity. We prayed together and she had profound prophecies she relayed to me. I kept wondering when the dementia would start appearing in our conversation, but it never did. For three hours and 33 minutes, she was completely sane! I kept thinking to myself: “What has happened?” As if she read my thoughts, she began to tell me that a few months prior, she told God she didn’t want to lose her mind. After her prayer she knew she had to make herself get back in the Bible. Reading is not an easy task for someone with dementia, and she had to overcome low concentration and comprehension levels, but she persisted, and her mind and faculties are being restored by the healing power of God’s word. 

Paul, speaking about the kind of mind we should have, said: “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5). There is an impartation of the mind of Christ when we read his word. The word renews our minds, supernaturally. In addition, reading the Bible aloud affects our limbic system, which affects our emotions, mind and bodies. Our words trigger and stimulate certain parts of our brain, including the hippocampus which is where our memories are stored. There is science that supports this, but nothing is more compelling to me than my Aunt Carole, who is a living testimony that the word of God is living and powerful and it heals! 

Over the last few days, we’ve continued our phone conversations, and I keep seeing that this change is indeed real, and permanent. She has been healed from a condition that medical science says cannot be cured or reversed and we both know that this can only be the hand of God and the power of his word.

Stacy

God healed me after 43 days on the ventilator and 73 days in hospital; battling sepsis, COVID, kidney failure, deep vein thrombosis, a mini-stroke and cardiac arrest

I recently stared at a photo taken of me lying in the intensive care unit (ICU) and gasped. There was a haunting absence of any focus in my eyes, tubes were protruding from my mouth and the harsh grip of a ventilator forcing air into my weakened body. As harrowing as that photo is, it serves as a powerful reminder of God’s miraculous healing in my life.  

Like most, I never expected to fall seriously ill. So, when I first began experiencing stomach pain, I brushed it off – attributing it to the stress of a demanding job. But as the months passed the pain intensified, accompanied by frequent vomiting. I visited my GP several times and was reassured that it was merely a viral infection. It was the evening of 3 January when everything changed. I collapsed on the floor of my parents’ home as the stomach pain had become unbearable. Panic ensued around me as someone said: “Call for the ambulance!” In that moment, time felt suspended. Energy drained from my body. Then, amid the chaos, I heard it – the soft, soothing voice of my mother, praying quietly. In that moment of despair, I was flooded by an overwhelming sense of peace. Having a loving, Christian mother praying for you is a blessing unlike any other.  

The ambulance finally arrived, and I remember feeling its motion as they took me to University Hospital in Coventry. What unfolded in the hours and weeks that followed is a blur for me. I learned later that the situation had quickly escalated and I had undergone emergency surgery shortly after my admission. The surgeons discovered that my stomach had moved into my diaphragm and become entangled. 

My life hung in the balance as my family nervously awaited news. They were eventually told that my stomach was so severely twisted that it might need to be removed. With immense skill and determination, the surgeons fought to save me. The following 24 hours was crucial. By the grace of God, and against all odds, my stomach began to heal. It seemed that I was on the road to recovery, with discussions about me leaving the hospital in mere days. But, as swiftly as the joy escalated, the darkness again descended. 

In the weeks that followed, my family and friends endured a tumultuous ordeal, as their faith was severely tested. I spent 43 days on the ventilator and a total of 73 days in hospital, battling sepsis, COVID, kidney failure, deep vein thrombosis, a mini-stroke and cardiac arrest. 

It’s still surprising to learn of everything that happened to me; it’s a miracle that I’m here today. I am so grateful for the prayers of my family, friends and even strangers who interceded on my behalf. I give thanks for the skilled and compassionate staff at the hospital. Eight months later, during a follow-up visit to the ICU, I met a nurse who looked vaguely familiar. When I asked if he remembered me, he smiled and said: “Yes, I prayed for you.” That moment hit me profoundly. It underscored a truth that God was orchestrating a miracle, even when I was utterly unaware. 

After leaving the hospital, I was encouraged to share my story. Initially I hesitated, wondering how I could give an account of events I barely remembered. I discovered a family group chat that encapsulated the emotional rollercoaster of my hospital stay, and with the aid of medical records and a patient diary, I was able to write my story in  Prayed Out! My miraculous ICU journey. I hope that my journey of faith and healing serves as a source of inspiration and encouragement. Remember, no matter how dark the time, hold fast to your trust in God. He is a healer, a protector and the source of my miraculous recovery. To him be all the glory! 

Iona Anderson | ionaanderson.com