This is my story.

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Is there any hope after two crippling strokes?

Through God’s grace, there definitely is! Psalm 39:7 ‘My hope

is in You’

Do I have to spend the rest of my life like this?

Or could it be like this?

Canal boating with my home group

To see Swallow Falls in North Wales

Arriving on Snowdonia

Snorkelling in South Africa

I knew that in all thingsGod works for the good of those

who love Him. Romans 8:28

The choice was mine!

Either I could accept my paralysis and hold a pity party…

Or I could choose to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to heal me!

I chose to trust our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!

I also knew that I had to do my part by working very hard, enduring a lot of pain and many challenges

I would not be able to do it on my own but know that in Philippians 4 :13 it says ‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength’

The Lord would also send me many human angels to help me along the way to recovery

I hoped I would be able to smile throughout, constantly giving praise and thanks for my countless blessings

I also knew that if I was to be healed completely it would only be if it is in His will and in His time so I need to be hopeful and patient

My long journey begins!

On 28th March 2007 just after 6am I collapsed in the shower and then crawled to my bed

I somehow got onto it and lay there as the stroke rapidly spread throughout my brain paralyzing my entire left hand side

Several times throughout the day I tried to phone for help but somehow could not get through

I lay on my bed all day until a friend, Jean phoned at 10pm and sensed there was something wrong

Jean suggested I phone 999 but I did not think there was anything wrong saying ‘I am just feeling a little drowsy’

Jean then incessantly said she would be driving over a distance of some 35 miles

Knowing that Jean was on her way I thought I would go downstairs to make a cup of coffee. I then fell onto the floor and was unable to get myself up

I struggled unsuccessfully until Jean arrived shortly after 11pm

Jean called 999 and soon I was admitted to Hemel Hempstead diagnosed with having had an ischemic stroke. It was now after midnight

I have no family in the UK and I feel that Jean was in my life for a season and a divine reason and also my first human angel

A few days later I went for physiotherapy and was still able to maintain a sitting balance and only needed a standing hoist to get up from my bed proving that through the grace of God I had come through this first stroke reasonably well

my second angel, my sister from South Africa just happened to be on

her first ever visit to the UK

The Lord’s timing was just perfect having my sister at my bedside for the first two weeks while she was

supposed to be on holiday

Two weeks later I started feeling extremely tired and on 16th April had a second haemorrhagic stroke which was more crippling as I could now barely move and had to be transferred by means of a sling hoist

The next 5 weeks were the worst and was probably like living in hell. This part of my journey is described

in a book I am working on. Some chapters now available online at

www.hofland.co.uk

my third angel, my youngest son Warren arrived from South Africa as I was being transferred to St. Albans

I was glad to have Warren to comfort me

My first night at Holywell neuro unit at St. Albans city hospital

My 4th angel, my eldest son, Darrel arrived 4 weeks later

The stage is set and the hard work begins!

Learning how to get out of a chair

Daily physiotherapy

And arm stretches

My one and only time in the hydro pool on my birthday (27th June)

Relearning how to walk

Learning to drive an electric wheelchair

Relearning to get into a car

Relearning how to cook simple meals

After a few weeks I did not seem to be getting anywhere?

I was told certain negative assumptions by the human

professionals

I felt dejected

Everyone felt dejected at the dining table

In walked Leah Mtembu

Leah asked the matron if she could pray for us

Leah then held me by my left arm and prayed for all of us

Leah then quoted Hebrew 10:38 ‘Now the just shall live by faith…’

Leah gave me renewed hope!

Matthew 14v6 ‘with man this is impossible, but with God all

things are possible’

I wanted to publically thank and praise the Lord and needed to go

to church

The nurses allowed me to phone for a taxi

Enabling me to give thanks and to praise our living God

15 weeks after my stroke I was discharged

And moved into a respite home in Welwyn Garden City

Our church administrator set up a roster of volunteers to bring me

to church each week

Regular physiotherapy would now cease

With odd visits by therapists the real hard work begins with Christ

aided self motivated daily exercises

Standing in a standing frame supplied by the NHS and stretches

Daily short walks

With my Lord Jesus Christ’s wisdom and understanding of my

neurological condition I set myself small but achievable daily

targets

Soon ready for a few challenges

When still in hospital I was told that I probably would not be able to get upstairs in my former home

so could no longer live there

Three months after my stroke accompanied by my niece and

her fiancée Tom

I got upstairs to where it all began!

I was told that I probably would not be able to drive again

But during a trip to SA in early 2008

The journey had not ended as my healing was not completed

My Christ motivated work continues….

I thank God for providing man with the knowledge to develop technology

to aid the healing process

Use of a Saebostretch to fool the brain that my arm should be

straight

Nightly use of a splint to prevent muscle shortening

Daily stimulation of nerves with a Microstym

Encouraging my toes to lift with a FES (functional electronic

stimulation unit) when walking

Wearing a splint to help against permanent footdrop

Regular arm stretches to slow muscle shortening using a pulley

supplied by REMAP

I thank my God for providing human angels for volunteering to

help me

Yvonne Gee for loosening up my shoulder to assist me in balancing and so soon able to climb stairs

Melinda Ward for doing upper arm stretched and preventing too much

muscle shortening

Jack Bourner for doing arm exercises and wrist stretches

Peter Lagden for supporting and encouraging me throughout my

long and arduous journey

I thank God for the people of St. Paul’s St. Albans for their support

and encouragement and being my ‘family’

I especially thank God for providing human angels giving me the strength and perseverance and for healing me

this far

In His strength my healing continues...

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The end