Portrait: Julia
In mid-late 2021, 20-year-old Julia became critically ill.
A little bit about Julia
After becoming critically ill in mid-late 2021, Julia began developing symptoms of persistent headaches, extreme fatigue, vomiting blood and bloody diarrhoea, debilitating seizures, vision and hearing loss and memory/balance/coordination difficulties. Seeing that their daughter’s health kept declining and fearful that she could possibly die, the Horowitz family refused to accept the diagnoses received at previous local hospitals. The doctors suggested everything from lactose intolerance to a bad stomach virus; but they felt certain that their daughter’s illness was something more serious.
An unexpected diagnosis & complications
In March 2022, Julia collapsed and became unresponsive and stopped breathing at home. 911 was called, and Julia was immediately transported by critical care ambulance. She was then diagnosed with Anoxic Brain Injury resulting from complications of a C-Diff infection and Epilepsy. She needed lifesaving medical intervention and was transported from a local children’s hospital to a larger level trauma hospital where they immediately focused on stabilizing her and started on a harsh course of antibiotics and other medications in the ICU.
The complications resulted in anoxic brain injury, acute renal failure, GI bleed, heart blockage, severe-protein calorie malnutrition. Nutritional intravenous feeding and giving herself daily Heparin injections became her new normal. Julia says,
Even though I don’t remember much when I was in the ICU, as soon as I began to regain consciousness, I was unable to talk or walk. I had no idea how long this journey would be, but when I couldn’t do simple things like not being able to use the bathroom with a urinary catheter and feeding myself, I knew my long battle with rehabilitation was only just beginning.
Faith & Recovery: “A Young Adult’s View of Miracles and Personal Encounter with God”
“For a significant portion of my freshman year in college, I had been in severe, debilitating pain. Eating and drinking were challenging, and shortly after, I developed PTSD”, says Julia. “On many nights, I’ve cried my eyes out and pleaded to God to take away my pain so I could be in heaven. I couldn’t take any more suffering on my own. I felt like I wasn’t being heard. I didn’t understand why this was happening to me.”
In the days following her unexpected recovery, Julia shared with her parents, other family members and friends what had happened during the long nights of her hospital stay. “When the chaplain came to my room, I asked him tearfully, if he could pray for me. During the five minutes of us praying, I felt a wave of peace wash over me and the immense pain that once used to grapple me with fear, withdrew from my body. I knew then, I was going to be healed and Jesus told me everything will be okay. It just wasn’t my time yet. I had a much greater purpose to be present here and to continue serving others and the Lord.”