This is an account of a family tragedy that was avoided because of God's grace and the prayers of the saints at Praise City Church. Once again I am reminded that God is Almighty in life and in death. This account is to give God the glory and to thank those who have been praying for us.
It started with my daughter, Eunice, coming down with fever on June 30, 2014. The following day I called our family clinic to arrange for a blood test to scan for dengue fever. The clinic instructed us to come after the third day of fever for the tests to be accurate. By Saturday, July 5, her fever broke. Even though she recovered from fever, she felt nauseous and tired. On the morning of July 8, she started having rashes. That afternoon I took her to our family clinic for a blood test and her blood palette count was 122, slightly below normal. I believed she was recovering from dengue. Two days later, a blood test revealed her blood palette count was back to normal. The whole family was oblivious about Eunice having contracted and recovered from dengue fever.
Two days later, on July 12, my wife, Jacqlyn developed fever. On July 14, I drove her to Columbia Asia Hospital Balakong and she was admitted on suspicion of dengue. We have medical insurance and believe she has good medical care. I know there is no cure for dengue fever. Upon admission her blood palette count was normal at 130. That was a Monday. Her palette count dropped daily. By Thursday it was 30 and she was admitted to Intensive Care Unit. She was bleeding continuously for 2 days from the nose, gums and other parts of the body. On Friday her palette count had dropped to 10. The following day she vomited in ICU. She was very weak and disorientated. By this time she was getting confused with events and time. However one memory stood out crystal clear for her. She remembered clearly during the most trying period, her non Christian brother encouraged her to pray to Jesus for quick healing. Jacqlyn remembered a surge of faith and prayed specifically for immediate healing. The good Lord was gracious to answer her prayer. There is power in the name of Jesus. Many leaders, members and christian friends were informed and praying for Jacqlyn by the second day of her admission. Pastors and members from PCC visited and prayed for her. Heartfelt thanks to all for prayers and concern. I believe the Lord answered our prayers and delivered Jacqlyn from death.
Till now it is still scary and shocking. Jaclyn's palette count rapidly dropped in a week! In a way, the Lord spared me from this dreaded week of fear and torment. I came down with fever on Tuesday, the second day of Jacqlyn's hospital stay. Previously, I determined to bring food, fruits and home cooked soup for her hospital stay but I could not. All I could do was short visits once a day. From Tuesday through Friday I was sleeping 16-19 hours a day. It was sleep, drink some soup and back to sleep. I couldn't send Joshua to school. With myself knocked out, there was little time or energy to worry and tremble about a dying wife. My fever broke on Friday and the following day I taught Sound Engineering at a Subang church. By Sunday I developed rashes which confirmed I had dengue as well. The following day, Monday, Joshua came down with fever and a few days later he had rashes as well. In 3 weeks the whole family came down with dengue fever.
Jacqlyn's turning point came on Saturday, July 19. Her palette count started rising in the afternoon. By Monday, July 21, she was transferred back to normal ward and was discharged the following day. The family took almost a month to recover and gain back strength from this ordeal. I suffered from tiredness and depression for 2 weeks since my fever broke.
In retrospect, Jacqlyn came so close to death without the family realising or feeling it. I know if I had not been knocked out I would have been very worried. Life and death is in our Father's hand. God alone is able to bring us out of the valley of the shadow of death. Once again, there is power in corporate prayer and a God whose wisdom transcends above the workings on man. All glory to God and thank you members of Praise City Church for your care and support.
Tim. L S.O.A
