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WestBow Press - Mercy Azoh-Mbi

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85 pages

English

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An uplifting true story of courage after a life-changing health crisis prompted a woman to chart a new inspirational course guided by faith, fortitude, and the support of her family and community.

Mercy arrived in Canada in 2009, full of life and excitement following her husband’s appointment as high commissioner (ambassador) of the Republic of Cameroon. As she settled in her new environment, she could not have suspected that just seven months later, her life would take a dramatic turn.

She awoke one morning complaining of fatigue, fever, a headache, and blurred vision, and was rushed to hospital with what she thought was a routine ailment. But a medical misdiagnosis would turn her life upside down. When she was placed in a wheelchair upon arriving the ER, little did she know that she had just taken her last steps on her own two feet. She soon slipped into a coma and wavered between life and death for weeks, then eventually made a miraculous recovery after undergoing high-risk open-heart surgery. But this recovery was to simply prepare her for the horror of yet another grim and dreary reality, the amputation of her two arms and two legs. Through fears and further mishaps, and with two prosthetic arms, two prosthetic legs, and two prosthetic heart valves, Mercy emerges and soon finds her stride.

She surprises us with grace, strength and ingenuity as an entrepreneur, a diplomat’s confidante, a woman of faith. Despite her ordeal, Mercy shuns bitterness and resentment, choosing to embrace life, love, compassion, and forgiveness as she seeks to shine a light on those in the trenches and throes of despair.

Miracle of Mercy is an uplifting true story of courage in the face of adversity. It will make you shed a tear, and then cheer as Mercy charts a new inspirational course for her life guided by faith, fortitude, and the support of her family and community.

Sujets

Santé et bien-être

Développement personnel

développement personnel

Self-help

Inspirational

Motivational

Informations

Publié par	WestBow Press
Date de parution	09 juin 2023
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9781664280397
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0200€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

Extrait

MIRACLE of MERCY

A True Story of Courage in the Face of Adversity

Mercy Azoh-Mbi with Paul T. Ayah

Copyright © 2023 Mercy Azoh-Mbi with Paul T. Ayah.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8037-3 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8038-0 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8039-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022918654

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/2/2023

This book is dedicated to my children, Paula and Jay, who went through their early childhood old enough to know that something serious had happened to their mom, but not old enough to understand why.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Part 1 : Life-Changing Moments

Chapter 1 : A Diagnosis Gone Wrong
Chapter 2 : Engulfed in the Flames of Endocarditis
Chapter 3 : Burned but Not Consumed
Chapter 4 : The Making of a Prosthetic Woman
Chapter 5 : The Flash of Hope and the Flash Flood

Part 2 : Life-Changing Relationships

Chapter 6 : Succor and Solace in the Storm
Chapter 7 : A Watchman at the Gate
Chapter 8 : Limbless Mother, Limitless Love

Part 3 : Life-Changing Lessons

Chapter 9 : A New Me and the New Normal
Chapter 10 : Pearls from My Pit
Chapter 11 : The Finishing Grace
Acknowledgments
This story is about one of God’s many attendant mercies. It is also a story that interlocks with the stories of numerous individuals and institutions that have been instrumental in providing healing and hope for me and my family.
Since it is not possible to name every one of them here, I would limit myself to mentioning just a few people for the pivotal role they played both in the events and in the recording of same in this book.
I am grateful to Cameroonian and Canadian authorities for their concern and care during the ordeal recounted in this book. His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, ordered the full coverage by the State of Cameroon of all my medical expenses after my insurance ran out. This greatly eased our pain and ensured that I received the best medical care both in Canada and the United States of America. To our head of state and our first lady, Mrs. Chantal Biya, my husband and I owe a debt of eternal gratitude and loyalty.
Many Canadian authorities and individuals sent letters of compassion and encouragement, flowers, get-well wishes, and even warm coverings to provide comfort in the cold Canadian climate. I extend my hearty thanks and gratitude for their kindness and generosity.
Professor Ebanda Boulou de B’beri and Mrs. Yvonne Duala-Ekoko respectively introduced us to two critical cardiovascular surgeons who saved my life. They were God’s finger pointing us to the right doors on which to knock in our time of distress and need. I sincerely thank them for their generosity of spirit.
I will remain eternally grateful to Professor Thierry Mesana, CEO of the Ottawa Heart Institute, and his staff for saving my life in extremis. He even went the extra mile by training some of his nurses, including Marlene and Anna, in specialist wound care to tend to my multiple limb amputations.
Similarly, special gratitude and thanks go to Dr. Nche Zama who, as head of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Poconos Medical Center in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, undertook the eerie final major open-heart surgery on me, changing both my aortic and mitral valves in 2011. He and his formidable staff, as well as our dear friend Ms. Alisa Tongg, contributed immensely and uniquely to my story of survival.
Dr. Jay Mbeng Nfonoyim’s steadfast love, concern, and care have been overwhelming from my initial diagnosis with a heart problem, leading to my first open-heart surgery in 2004 in New York. To him and his lovely wife, Sue, I offer my hearty thanks.
I am equally thankful to members of the Ottawa diplomatic community and our many Canadian friends, including Peter and Mary Hagen; Donna Crabtree; Jerry and Carol Sherman; David and Sue Imbrock; Robert Montgomery; and Harold and Darlene Mclean; who in various ways encouraged my husband and me to remain strong and hopeful amid all doubts and discouragement. To members of our church family at the Gloucester Presbyterian Church; our pastor, Reverend Denise Allen-Macartney, and husband, Allen; Terry and Joan Born-Flett; Olive O’May; Tom and Becky Asa’na; Joe and Rose Ayafor; Vic and Lyn Dowie; Reverend Father Louis Fohssie; the Cameroonian diaspora in Canada; and the staff of the Cameroon High Commission in Canada; I express sincere thanks and gratitude for the support and solidarity shown us during our time of difficulty.
Numerous friends and family members traveled far and near to visit and console us. May they find here our unreserved thanks and sincere appreciation. It’s hard not to mention my sister Frida Agbor, who made countless trips from New Jersey in and out of season just to attend to us. To her and to my sister-in-law Lucy Ambe in Silver Spring, Maryland, I am deeply thankful. I am equally thankful to members of our household at the Cameroon residence (Vincent Azindi, Peter Canuh, Quinta Annoh and Bi Ndenecho) who hemmed in around us in the face of an imminent crash that could have been. I thank our two young children, Paula and Jay, for enduring the trauma of this family tragedy and providing us with a reason to remain hopeful. May they find healing and hope that endures throughout their own lives.
If there’s one person who has relived the story in all its details and reached out to most of the key players, it is Mr. Paul T. Ayah, without whose sharp wit and sense of synthesis this book would not have been possible. It’s been a blessing knowing and working with Paul on this and other ventures.
Finally, to God, our Maker and Master, I offer all the honor, glory, and thanksgiving for the wondrous ways He leads and lights our path through all human distress and darkness.
Introduction
My name is Mercy Azoh-Mbi. My husband, Solomon Azoh-Mbi, was appointed high commissioner (i.e., ambassador) of the Republic of Cameroon to Canada in 2008. I arrived in Canada in early 2009 full of life and excitement, looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. But barely seven months later, my life would take a dramatic turn.
My arrival in Canada coincided with the outbreak of the H1N1 flu pandemic that was commonly referred to as the swine flu. The entire world was gripped by the crisis that began in Mexico and quickly spread worldwide in 2009. The symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to those of other influenzas and may include fever, coughs, headaches, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, chills, fatigue, and a runny nose. How is the swine flu related to my story? Well, read on.
Since I was either in a coma or disoriented for several months during my hospitalization, parts of the story I am recounting here were only possible thanks to medical records as well as the recollections of medical personnel, family members, and especially my husband, who kept a detailed diary during the entire ordeal.
As a conservative African woman, I have never been comfortable calling my husband by his first name. I call him “Daddy” in the presence of our children, “Nde Solo” in the presence of other family members, “Solo” as a tease, or “Nu” as a special term of endearment. I only use his first name, Solomon, when I need his attention during official events. So, to spare you any confusion as you read this story, I will simply refer to him as my husband, unless the circumstance dictates otherwise.
This is my story…
PART 1
Life-Changing Moments
01
A Diagnosis Gone Wrong
The most crucial step toward healing is having the right diagnosis … A bad diagnosis usually means a bad outcome, no matter how skilled the physi cian.
—Andrew Weil
F riday, October 23, 2009, was a typical autumn day in Ottawa. The hot, humid summer had given way to cooler days, and the trees had virtually transformed into a color palette. The fresh green leaves of summer had changed into the hues of the rainbow as the trees shed their exotic leaves in preparation for the rigors of winter. Everyone was telling me fondly about the snow and cold, which are the hallmarks of Canadian winters; I was awaiting my first winter in Ottawa with excitement, tinged with the occasional trepidation that comes with looking forward to the unknown.
We had finally found a permanent home after transitioning through two different accommodations during our first seven months in Ottawa. We spent a l