I'm a Walking Miracle!

by CFNI Student Carolyn Purvis
Christ for the Nations magazine - December 2001

During CFNI's spring break last year, I returned to my home in Virginia. On March 13, 2001, I was involved in a serious automobile accident. I was sightseeing that afternoon with my younger sister, Chrissy, and my boyfriend, Jerry Schenk, another CFNI student. Chrissy, who was driving, didn't see the vehicle headed for us at 55+ mph when she pulled out from a stop sign. Our truck was hit on the driver's side and rolled over five times. When I saw the car coming, by a miracle of God, I grabbed for my sister and held her away from her open window, preventing her head from being outside of the vehicle as we flipped. We landed on the driver's side. The horn was stuck and blaring. The radio was blaring, too. When my sister looked at me, she yelled, "I killed her. I killed my sister!"

I don't remember what happened after this point, until I was in the hospital. My sister and Jerry recounted the following: I was unconscious, unable to breathe, had turned blue and was shaking on one side. Jerry was unhurt except for a seat belt bruise. Chrissy received a bump on her head. I, however, had broken my neck.

Due to the instant swelling and the nature of my injury, I was unable to breathe on my own. My family and Jerry would not accept the report nor would they allow it to be told to me. 1 spent two weeks in ICU. Surgery was performed on my neck, fusing my 2 and 3 vertebrae together. I was put in a halo brace, had a tracheotomy, a feeding tube and was hooked to a respirator. My family and Jerry were joined in prayer by area churches, CFNI's student body and faculty. Guy Peh, director of 9-1-1 prayer at CFNI, traveled to my bedside with five other pastors just to pray. Also, one of my professors, Dr. Jeffrey Seif, came to pray and deliver cards from students. The 24-hour prayer watch on campus interceded for me, and the CFNI Mozambique mission team I was going to be a part of that summer offered much support. I was amazed at the love of God demonstrated through His people.

When I was released from ICU, I was unable to walk, was still on oxygen and my left hand and arm were paralyzed. After three weeks in rehab, I was able to walk, was off oxygen and all medications. God also restored movement to my arm and hand. I was released from the rehab hospital on April 19, and continued to wear the halo brace until May 29. Today, I am a miracle of God and a full-time student at Christ For The Nations Institute.

 ----- by Carolyn Purvis †