When I was shot by an intruder on July 26,1981..a tragedy and a miracle happened. Duane was taking a shipboard assign. for his company here in Virginia. Luckily I had family here so I didn't mind having to be alone. We rented an apartment two doors down from my cousin and aunt. He left 10 days after we got here. I will omit most of the details of that night, but the fact that I was shot with a .357 magnum and survived was a miracle, the fact that the bullet was a hollow point that should have expanded, but didn't was a miracle, it did hit 5 of my major organs and destroyed my left kidney, I was lucky that I was taken to a hospital that the resident Dr. that was on that night was once a field Dr. like in Mash, he was familiar with gunshot wounds. I was in critical condition, Duane was notified, and was flown back to the states, he was in the Indian ocean at the time, it took him 72 hours to finally get here..72 hours of anguish and fear.

I was born and raised a Catholic, I was not a devout Catholic, but I did my Christian duties as a Catholic and taught my children the same. Duane on the other hand was born and raised a Latter Day Saint, also known as Mormon. Months before, he got into reading the scriptures and explaining his religion to me. Before I was shot, one day two of the Mormon missionaries came to our place and I told them Duane was a Mormon already, they asked if I were interested in studying about the religion and I said I would rather wait till Duane got back. I was afraid that I would not know the answers to a lot of things and I felt embarrassed to talk to strangers about it, it would be easier to study with Duane. I'm sorry I am making this so long but this leads up to a lot of things. I started to read the bible a little and praying a lot, Then that tragic night.

When Duane got here, he had two of the Elders of his Church come and give me a Blessing unbeknown to me. A few days later I saw the Lord Jesus came to me in a ray of light... he put his hands upon my head and spoke to me. I can't remember what he said, but I knew then that I was not going to die, that I would be given a mission in my remaining years.

I was then put into a glass room (isolation) in ICU and the nurses told Duane that they would look at me through the glass and I would be laying in bed with my arms outstretched, like someone was on either side of me holding my hands and they could see me talking. They told Duane that I was not alone in there, that I had Special Company. I wasn't alone; I told Duane that there were two people there comforting me but I couldn't see them and they never talked, just held my hands.

A few days later I told Duane that I wanted to see the Bishop. Duane asked; who's, mine or his? I said, his....

I was having many problems, they could not seem to come up with the right combination of antibiotics to help the infection that was setting in. I took a turn for the worse; I went into shock and had to be operated on again. The following day my heart stopped but the Heart Dr. Already had a catheter in me and he injected the medicine to get my heart going again. Then the next day my remaining kidney failed and they had to get it going again.

I asked Duane to please ask the missionaries to come and give me another blessing. This was about the sixth week in the hospital. They came and as they were giving me a blessing, I felt that I was floating on a soft cloud above my bed, I felt so at peace. I spent another six weeks in the hospital but it was uphill all the way after that blessing.

One night Duane happened to talk to a couple who's son had taken a bad fall and had lost his kidney. He was very angry and felt he wanted to die. The parents were very upset. Duane came and told me about the boy, he was in his early twenties, Duane asked me to go talk to the him and let him know that his life is not over just because he lost a kidney. So the next day I talked to him and told him what had happened to me. Later Duane had met the parents again and they told Duane that they could not get over the change in the attitude in their son. I was also asked by a nurse if I would talk to a lady who was shot and tell her my feelings. My mission had started.

I firmly believe with all my heart that Jesus blessed me that I would go forth and touch the lives and hearts of others along the way...and that I would touch them with his kindness and his love. And I did this for many years without realizing it. But when I was diagnosed with cancer and turned to him once again in need, he reminded me of my mission in life.

Once again I knew I would not succumb to my illness and that I would still continue to help others and touch them with his love. For me, finding the cancer channel has helped me to fulfill my mission.... and that is a miracle. I feel good about myself and am so happy with my life, and have such a love for the people I come into contact with...I have been truly blessed. I am not a bible reader nor do I go to church like I know I should...but my heart swells with the love of the Lord God and His son Jesus Christ....If He came to my door this very day, .I would give up every thing that I hold near and dear to me and walk with HIM!! I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on Feb. 10, 1982 by my husband, Duane.