Why I Choose Jesus...Bri's Testimony of her death and journey back....

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          At 6 months old I had cataract surgery. At 2 years old, unexplained projectile vomiting began. I started getting massive headaches when I was 3. I would grab my head and scream, and it would leave as quickly as it came. My parents took me to doctor after doctor, yet MRIs, scans, and tests showed nothing...a year of frustration and heartbreak for my parents. 

          My parents were involved in the worship/prayer team from our church. One night, the Celebration Ministries Director, Cynthia, said “Good night Brittany, I will see you tomorrow at church!” I said, “No you won’t because I will be in the hospital.” An hour later, I started screaming and was rushed to the ER. My parents didn't know they were in for a literal hell of a faith-shaking journey, and their little girl’s fight for life was about to begin.

          More Tests and scans, but this time, the doctor told my parents the unthinkable, “Your daughter has an inoperable golf ball size brain tumor on her brainstem. If we operate, because of the location, it could cause irreparable damage". They asked God "Why are you allowing this to happen to our child?” , feeling every emotion possible, sadness, confusion, anger.. All they could do was hold me tight and cry on the longest night of their lives. The next morning, the neurosurgeon came into my room and told my parents to take me home, get my affairs in order, and make me as comfortable as possible because their child had less than 6 months.

          Before I was discharged, a pediatric neurosurgeon came in and said he was going to do surgery. My parents were ecstatic, but he added that there would be complications. I was taken to ICU to prep for surgery the next day. My parents were drained mentally and emotionally, and called friends and family to get a prayer chain going. My dad called Cynthia and Dave, and they were shocked. Cynthia said “that night at home group we said goodbye to Brittany and that we’d see her at church on Sunday. Her response was ‘No you won’t because I will be in the hospital.'” 

          That night before surgery, the nurse came in and told my mom there was a visitor to see her. She greeted the lady but didn't recognize her. The unknown lady said she heard our story and said "I had a dream last night and had to come tell you. I saw a ball of yarn with a rubber ball in the center of it. As people were picking around at the yarn, it opened so they could pick the ball up.” The lady explained “The ball of yarn represented the nerves that control the body wrapped around your daughter’s brain tumor.” 

          Thursday morning, October 31, 1996, my parents prayed over the surgeon. Our whole church came to the hospital, along with friends and family. The chapel and many other rooms had to be opened for so many people that came to pray and stay with my parents during what would be a 10 hour surgery. Every hour a nurse would call and give my parents the status, but 4 hours in, the phone calls stopped. My parents kept asking the nurse for an update. After the longest 3 hours of my parents' lives, the calls started again. They were quick, that 'she was doing well'. After an excruciating 10 hours, the surgeon came out to the waiting room where my parents and those praying were waiting. He explained how the surgery “went better than expected.” He then pulled my parents aside to explain what happened when there were no calls… “She died." he said. "We pronounced her death". I am certain my parents heard crickets. He continued “I did not do this surgery, there was someone else in that room.” Though not a believer, he knew Jesus had guided him through the whole thing. (My parents had prayed over him before the surgery and told him they believe God would be there with him. "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith". Matthew 21:22)

          So, what happened when I died? While writing this testimony, I kept asking God to show me or help me remember what I experienced myself in the hospital. I’ve had what are called ‘selective recalls’ or ‘precognitive dreams’, dreams you have now that happened in the past. One was that I was on the operating table, and God touched my head and said “It’s time to wake up!” From there, He guided the surgeon through the rest of the surgery.

          After 2 months, the journey of assessing damages began. I was paralyzed, and couldn’t swallow. Doctor's said I would never walk again or eat on my own due to the amount of damage to nerves they had to cut which controlled walking and movement. I was fed with a feeding tube through my nose. I hated that thing and would do anything to pull it out. My parents tied my hands in gloves so I couldn’t, but I was determined to pull that feeding tube out. One day, my dad came to see me when he got off work. When he walked in my room, he saw that despite my hands being wrapped, I managed to pull the tube out just enough so the liquid went into my lungs. I was immediately rushed to ICU. My parents were told I wouldn't make it through the night because my lungs were so full, causing pneumonia. My parents began calling friends and family to pray. That night my mom stayed in ICU for what could be my last night alive.

          My mom remembers sitting in the room while I finally slept. At 2am, a man dressed as a nurse came in with a portable X-ray machine. My mom looked up, thinking “She is sound asleep, don’t touch her.” because I freaked out the moment I saw anyone wearing white. He lifted me to put the film under, took the X-ray and left. I stayed asleep. He never said a word and neither did my mom. She was confused at how I did not wake up. The next morning when the doctors came in, they talked and walked away. My mom followed them and said, “Excuse me, somebody took an X-ray last night.” The doctors said “No, we didn’t order an X-ray.” My mom replied “I’m telling you somebody was in here last night and did an X-ray.” Once again they said “Ma’am, we did not…” my mom cut them off and said “Ok, you may not have ordered it, but somebody came in my daughter’s room last night. Maybe for the wrong patient but somebody was in here.” While this back and forth went on, a nurse ran off and brought back an X-ray with my name on it, but no signature so they could not trace it. It showed that my lungs were crystal clear. Without a shadow of a doubt, we know he was an angel.

          I found an old VCR tape of my last day in therapy to teach me to walk again, along with other mobility exercises. On my last day, the nurses and I wanted to go out with a bang. In the video I surprised everyone by walking with a walker by myself. The doctors told us I would never walk or eat through my mouth..basically never be normal, but that wasn’t ok with me. I had become quite a fighter! The room was decorated, we had cake and ice cream...an emotional celebration not only for my parents but for the nurses and hospital staff as well. 

          Several years later, I had defied all predictions...I could eat normally and not only could I walk, but I could DANCE! I began to participate in Celebration Ministries, Inc. Dance Team. I would dance for God and share my testimony. If you know someone who needs to hear this story...reach out to Celebration Ministries, Inc...They know where to find me!