Patsy's terrifying and mysterious health affliction first became apparent on January 14, 2006. Patsy and her daughter Amy had traveled from their home in Atlanta to Chattanooga, Tennessee to watch her granddaughter Savanah in a Cheerleading Competition. Amy noticed that her Mom seemed disoriented and confused - so out of character for this normally vibrant woman.
Her concern grew when the next day, she discovered Patsy, even more disoriented, applying her eye make-up to her cheek. Recognizing that something was seriously wrong, she called her father, Ron, who immediately flew back from Duke University Medical Center, where he had been participating in a wellness program.
Against Patsy's wishes, Ron insisted that Patsy return with him to Duke for a complete work-up with the head physician of the Executive Health Program. Patsy received a CT scan, an MRI and a complete physical examination, but the doctors could find nothing wrong with her, and it seemed that she had returned to being her usual alert, lively self. Perplexed but relieved that the doctors had found nothing wrong; Ron and Patsy decided to stay in the area to attend to some business.
A TURN FOR THE WORSE
That next morning -- Saturday, January 20th -- Patsy awoke with severe
disorientation and an extremely high fever. Ron rushed her over to the
Duke University Medical Center. By the time they reached the hospital,
her fever was so high that Patsy was oblivious to her surroundings.
Obviously, it was God's will that Patsy was still in Durham with Ron
and that they remained so close to this world renowned hospital,
otherwise Patsy would have died alone in her home.
The medical team was able to bring Patsy's fever down, but much to their dismay, her speech and motor skills were rapidly declining. They knew now that she had a brain infection, but what was causing it? To determine if the infection was viral or bacterial, they would have to grow a culture, which would take at least three days.
Patsy continued to decline, and by early Tuesday morning, she was in a death coma. Placed in the ICU, Patsy was hooked up to life support machines, with a terrified husband by her side.
As word spread about Patsy's turn for the worse, family and friends rushed to the ICU and Patsy's side from all over the South. They were in a state of shock to see this normally vibrant, young and healthy woman in such a severe state of deterioration. By Tuesday night, Patsy's sister, Peggy, was told by the head neurologist that Patsy was in "a death coma." She didn't have the heart to tell Ron, but for some reason Ron felt compelled to tell Peggy, "Whatever the doctor tells, don't you believe him. He is just a man. God is going to heal her!"
Ron walked out of the family meeting and saw the head neurologist. He looked the doctor into his eyes and said, "God is going to heal my wife." The reaction on the doctor's face was one of disbelief or hope that Ron was right.
THE VIGIL BEGINSThe family agreed with Ron that God was going to fully heal Patsy, and the prayer vigil began. Prayer requests were sent out to contacts throughout the nation. Family, friends, churches and even Internet groups prayed throughout the night for Patsy.
Patsy lived through that dark night, through the grace of God and the power of prayer.
The next day, the doctors were astonished. They decided to take Patsy into surgery to drill a hole in her skull to relieve and monitor the pressure on her brain. Ron boldly asked the physician if he would pray with him and his family. The doctor complied. When he came out of surgery, he delivered the good news - the pressure on Patsy's brain was not as severe as they had expected, and Patsy was now in stable, but still serious condition. He also informed the family that even though Patsy's condition was stable, there were still difficult challenges ahead, with risks of infection and other complications. If Patsy ever did wake up, she would never be the same, and the family needed to be prepared for this.
A DARK DIAGNOSIS
As the lab reports came in, Patsy's condition was finally diagnosed.
She had contracted herpes simplex encephalitis, a horrific and
aggressive virus that attacks quickly with little to no warning,
leaving severe lesions on the brain and causing irreparable
neurological damage. This extremely rare affliction strikes just 2,000
people per year in the U.S. It is very difficult to diagnose, and many
medical facilities are not even equipped to treat the illness, even
when proper diagnosis is made.
The statistics were grim, left untreated or misdiagnosed, 70% of patients with herpes simplex encephalitis die. Of those that do survive, half are left with permanent neurological damage.
Ron, family and friends offered up prayers of thanks that Ron had initially insisted that Patsy come with him to the state-of-the-art Duke University Medical Center. God clearly had a plan for Patsy!
EMERGING FROM THE COMAOver the next six days, Patsy remained in the ICU, monitored 24/7 by ICU nurses who were never more than 10 feet away from her side.
Patsy was then taken off life support, transferred to a step-down unit, and the medical team began the process of waking her from her coma. Poor Patsy had battled so hard and for so long, that the progress was slow. She would wake, but only for moments at a time. The entire right side of her body was paralyzed, and her motor skills were severely impaired. They feared she would never again be able to think and function on her own, or regain her motor skills and capacity to speak.
But Ron, family and friends knew differently. God was in control, and He was going to heal her. During this time, from North Carolina to California, Minnesota to Florida, thousands of people were praying for Patsy.
The prayer network was so extensive that Ron and Patsy's good friend Cindy, who lives in Ohio, had an incredible experience. She bumped into an acquaintance on the bus, she discovered through conversation that this friend was also praying for Patsy in her prayer group.
A LEAP OF FAITH
It was now February, and Ron was ricocheting between faith and
despair. Part of him feared the worst, even though he was a man of
God. Praying with all his heart, he still feared he might lose his
beloved wife and best friend, Patsy.
During this low period, Ron received a call from his local car dealer, who told Ron that the 2007 models would be ready in October. In a gesture of faith, Ron ordered a car for Patsy and started telling his friends and family that he knew she would have a full recovery and be able to enjoy this gift. His faith and conviction were bolstered - he had stepped out on faith, knowing that God, in His wisdom, had Patsy's recovery already handled.
Over the next four weeks, Patsy indeed did continue to improve, much to the amazement of the hospital staff. She started staying awake for longer periods of time, and she began to regain control of her paralyzed right side. God was at work! His healing grace was abundant for all to see!
HEALING & HOLDING THE FAITHIt was now time for Ron and Amy to meet with Patsy's case manager. They were joined by their beloved friend, Linda, who had stayed at Patsy's bedside for 12 hours a day, seven days a week, for weeks on end and still continues to stay by her side as God continues the healing process.
Just as the healing power of Jesus was at work on Patsy's body, he had already worked his healing power on their relationship. For Linda is currently married to Patsy's former husband. This is also a testament to the wonderful heart and character of both Patsy and Linda. God's grace transcended what could have been a relationship of animosity; instead, he has forged a close and loving friendship.
The case manager recommended that Patsy remain in the hospital and that when she was released, if her condition did not improve, she should be sent to a sub-acute hospital, which is in essence a nursing home, for an indefinite period of time. God filled Ron with faith once again, and he declared, "God is going to heal her. Completely heal her."
THE SHEPHERD CENTERKnowing it was time to bring Patsy closer to home and closer to her friends and family, Ron traveled back to their home in Atlanta. A friend suggested to Ron that he look into the Shepherd Center, the most renowned spinal and brain injury clinic in the world. When he met with the Marketing Director of the Shepherd Center he told her of Patsy's illness, and a sad frown came over her face. Ron saw her sadness and boldly announced to her in a re-assuring voice, "Don't worry, God is going to heal her."
The Shepherd Center arranged for a nurse to travel to Duke University Medical Center and evaluate Patsy's condition. Patsy needed to be alert and responsive for at least a 3 hour span in order to gain admission into the Shepard Center. She did not meet these criteria, and her application for admission was denied.
Ron didn't give up, he knew that Shepherd Center was the right place for her recovery. He called on his church, Cobb Vineyard, and all his family and friends and asked all of them to pray as hard as they possibly could pray, and to stay in prayer.
The following Monday, Ron received a call from Patsy's case worker at Duke. Her condition was getting better! And more good news - The Shepherd Center had reconsidered, and they would accept Patsy. Jesus delivered once again!
The next week was spent stabilizing Patsy for the 7 hour ride back to Atlanta. As they were preparing Patsy for the ambulance, the nurse told Ron not to worry, that Patsy's feeding tube was implanted very well and would last for years. Ron responded to her, "Years? It won't be years, it will be months." God saw things differently. Three weeks later, Patsy was able to swallow on her own and the feeding tube was removed.
Patsy was transferred to The Shepherd Center and began her rehabilitation program. Three weeks into her stay, Patsy's doctor called Ron in for a meeting. Ron and Patsy's daughter Julie went with him to hear the assessment. Before entering the room, Ron turned to Julie and said, "No matter what these doctors say, don't believe them. They are only just men. God is going to heal her, totally heal her."
The news was in fact good. Patsy's progress was faster than expected. The doctor told them that he expected Patsy to have a full recovery, and that she would be ready to be transferred to outpatient care the next week. What the doctors expected to take 5 weeks, would only take four weeks. The doctor even predicted that Patsy would be able to drive within the next 6 to 8 months.
Shortly after her return home, on Sunday June 11th, Patsy, legendary for her poor driving skills and her difficulty in parking the car in the garage without hitting a wall, was able to successfully park Ron's car in the garage. Ron and Patsy had just returned from Patsy's first visit back to their church. As Ron headed upstairs to change, Patsy called up to him, asking him which car they were going to be leaving in. When Ron answered back to her that they would take the SUV, Patsy told him the little car was blocking the SUV. Ron replied to Patsy that he would move it when he came back down. She offered to go ahead and move the car for him. He apparently did not hear her correctly, and answered her with, "okay." When he returned downstairs, Patsy announced that she had gone ahead and parked the car in the garage for him. To his amazement, she had done just that, the car was neatly centered in the garage with the door closed, in tact, and undamaged! Ron was amazed because the garage is tight and not easy to pull into, but Patsy had done it! She had parked the car perfectly!
PATSY TODAY
Patsy is now in The Shepherd Center's outpatient program, Shepherd
Pathways. She attends therapy for 6 hours a day. Initially she
attended sessions for 5 days each week, then she attended for 3 days a
week, but today she only needs to receive therapy for 2 days a week!
Her motor skills have returned her mind is fully aware and alert, and
best of all; her personality is back in full bloom! Her speech
continues to improve and her short term memory is almost fully
restored, and these both continue to improve on a daily basis.
God uses doctors and nurses and modern medicine to heal His people. We want to thank the many wonderful healers and caretakers at Duke University Medical Center, The Shepherd Center, and Shepherd Pathways. We offer a special thanks to the six private nurses who were God's Angels that prayed over Patsy and read the word to her every night.
We cannot begin to show our love and appreciation for the thousands of brothers and sisters in Christ who lifted their hearts and voices to the Lord, calling on Him for his grace and mercy for Patsy. Most of all, we want the world to know of Patsy's Miracle. We want to spread the word of God's hope and promise. We want to praise our Heavenly Father for his Son and his favor in Patsy's life, and all those who cared for her.
Thank you, dear Lord, for your faithfulness. Thank you for Your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ. We dedicate this testimony in his name and for your glory.
We hope that anyone that reads this story will see that God is true to his word and that faith is a form of hope that God gives us when we pray. We should pray "Lord do not let me judge by the sight of my eyes, but let me judge by your living word. These are the words Ron continually spoke to give him strength to overcome his flesh."
For truly, the words from Psalm 91 are put into living action in the life of Patsy, Ron, and their family and friends: "I will protect those who trust in My name. When they call on Me, I will answer."
CLICK HERE to read the prayer that Ron prayed over Patsy everyday. The page will open in a new window, close the new window to return here.
In the Driver's Seat with Jesus at the Wheel|
This is a new chapter in the remarkable story of Patsy's Miracle and the power of faith. You may remember Ron, Patsy's husband, and his gesture of faith back in February 2006, in the midst of her awakening from a coma at Duke University Medical Center. Ron, believing that she would make a full recovery from her devastating sickness, ordered her a new car with the expectation that she would be able to drive and enjoy it by the end of the year. He stepped out in faith, believing that Patsy would be healed and restored physically and mentally. He contacted the car dealer to order the car and to boldly profess that, "Patsy will get well enough to drive the new car home!" Ron was surely operating on faith, based on "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11: 1).
It would take eight months before the new vehicle models arrived, providing Patsy the opportunity to pass one milestone after another in the healing process. "I knew she would become well enough to drive again," Ron stated. "I continued to claim it each day, even though I was scared." "Some people doubted my wisdom and sanity when I ordered the car, but as Patsy was clinging to life, I clung to the word of God." Psalm 103: 2 & 3 states: "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases". . . Skip forward to December 23, 2006, Patsy took delivery of her new car, in time for Christmas, as a miraculous testament to God's faithfulness. She recently passed the first part of her driver's education course at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, and has enjoyed driving her new car, with Ron at her side. When asked about her new car, Patsy simply says, "I love it!" After three more hours of driver's education, she'll be certified to drive alone. Ron and Patsy often ponder the progress she has made and praise God for his work. They, both, are encouraged by how remarkably well she is doing. Her speech and memory skills have improved; she is reading again, and even doing math. "It's amazing," says Ron about her recovery. After months of therapy, Patsy says confidently, "I am getting better." Ron says that they are thankful for the small benchmarks of this God-sized miracle. He enjoys listening to Patsy laugh at herself, even as she still struggles to find just the right word in a conversation. Her sense of humor and laugh have returned; her mind is totally intact; and her ability to recall is getting stronger, as she continues therapy two days a week at the Shepherd Center. Now, conversely, her doctors are predicting a total recovery from her sickness. Patsy begins her day performing simple tasks most take for granted-making coffee, letting the dog out, putting in a load of laundry. Six months ago, her loved ones could only hope and pray that she would do these ordinary tasks again. Now, those who believed in her healing give all the glory to an extraordinary God who is true to his Word. Ron says, "I claimed it, and God delivered!" Ron doesn't see himself as a spiritual giant, and deflects attention to the one who deserves the credit. Instead, Ron views himself as a child of the Lord Jesus Christ, who believed, proclaimed and leaned on God's promises and the prayers of fellow believers.
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint" (Isaiah 40:31) 
"I’ve Never Walked
Alone" - Patsy and Ron Tripodo Take Final Steps Toward
the Finish Line
|
It was during this time that Ron was given the grimmest of
prognoses for Patsy's health. Doctors continually cautioned
him about the low survival rates for the sickness that was
plaguing her, and the high risks of brain damage and loss of
motor skills.
"God will finish what He started; it's all about
trust," says Ron. "I knew Patsy would be driving. I
have no doubt that in 2007 she will be totally healed, and in
a month she will be driving solo." Well, almost solo-with
her friend, Jesus, right by her side.
Staci Dennis, Director of Education at the Huntington
Learning Center, says “Patsy is an inspiration;
every day we see progress.” Teachers at the learning
center normally work with kids (and sometimes adults),
who for various reasons need academic help in reading,
math, study skills and test preparation. Patsy is not
a typical student, and they are quick to admit they
are not experts in brain injuries. But, like an
elementary or high school student who may have missed
some foundational skills, Patsy is relearning sight
vocabulary, phonemic awareness and even multiplication
tables. Dennis says Patsy’s tutoring sessions focus
on memory issues and information processing, and they
are enjoyable for both student and teacher. “I can
hear Patsy and Murial (her tutor) laughing and having
fun in there. We love Patsy – she has no fear and no
shame; she works so hard and is willing to try
anything.”