Interview with a Stroke Survivor - Life is not always good, but God is

Hoping Forward - God Stories in Everyday

Kristi Damron is a new friend from Hope Heals Camp this past summer. She is a former nurse (25 years) and lives on a working farm/ranch in the small town of Carter, Oklahoma. Kristi is married and has 3 children and 2 grandchildren. In January 2019, Kristi suffered a severe stroke at 44 years old. After a 6-8 hour surgery, a week in a coma, a week in the hospital, 45 days in rehab and lots of therapy, she has recovered many of her abilities. Her story is one of surrender, grief and hope and one that constantly points to Christ. Her faith has played a critical role in her healing, as has her belief that God is good even when our lives are not. This episode was recorded in the beautiful chapel at Camp McDowell in Nauvoo, AL in late July. (Beautiful, but so hot!) In the interview, Kristi mentions that her middle son would be going to the doctor in August for a follow-up due to an episode of A-fib. I reached out to ask how that went and her response was, "His appointment was great. PTL They slowly weaned him off the medication they had him on and he has not had anymore issues and no ablation was needed!!" Such a wonderful praise to tie a bow on her story. God is so good! Verses referenced by Kristi: Psalm 23:1 "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want." Psalm 46:10 (corrected from her citation of Isaiah 41:10) "Be still and know that I am God" John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Kristi has now spent 2 summers volunteering as a Compassionate Companion at Hope Heals Camp in Alabama where my daughter, Sarah, and I have been coming as campers since 2017. If you are interested in coming to camp as a volunteer or a camper family (families impacted by disability), check out their website. To learn more about Jay and Katherine Wolf's books, Hope Heals and Suffer Strong, go here. It really is the most wonderful place on earth! You can find Kristi on Facebook here. If you would like to tell your God-story on the podcast, I would love to hear from you! You can reach me through the Hoping Forward Podcast page on Facebook, through a voice message on Anchor, or through email at [e-mail]. I hope this story helps you notice things God is doing in your life. Don't forget to follow Hoping Forward: God Stories in Everyday so you don't miss an episode!