She’s a miracle were the words of head of the Neurology Department in St Georges Hospital, Sydney, words spoken to Kaukapakapa’s Andrew Denton about his wife’s recovery from a DVT (Deep vein thrombosis), which went to her lungs, leading to a series of three cardiac arrests, having been off-loaded from a plane in Sydney. Pauline was returning from a month in the UK visiting her elderly mother.
Remembering nothing of the fateful flight after boarding the plane, or her four days on life support, she just remembers the surreal feeling of finding herself in a hospital ward, slurring her now softly spoken words and feeling like she was looking at things through broken glass. “I couldn’t see the faces of the specialists properly, I could focus their eyes but had to look down to see their nose and further still to focus on their lips. I was not a happy bunny, being connected up to a heap of monitors and enduring feeling like a slab of meat as I was being bed bathed by three nurses. It was wonderful having my husband by my side and escaping to the hospital café for a coffee. Passing the time was hard, as I could not see to read texts, watch TV or do my Sudoku puzzles so time really dragged. My body was covered in a rash and my coordination was so poor the gentleman in the adjacent bed fed me my evening meal.”
Pauline in hospital in Sydney visited by friend Tess Goulsbra, who had come over from the UK to run her Arts & Activities Programme while Pauline was in the UK.
She was also unaware that at one point her kidneys had packed in and she was facing the prospect of a life on dialyses. Husband Andrew was feeling that the best and only thing he could do was to get as many people as possible to pray for Pauline’s recovery. Both attend Helensville Community Church, but prayers were going up around the world as people heard of what had happened. Pauline is now almost completely recovered and has been able to return to her two roles of coordinating the Art Centre in Helensville and running an Arts and Activities Programme for ‘differently abled adults’ through Mt Tabor Trust.
Putting her miraculous recovery down to prayer, Pauline has offered to be on reception for the newly opening ‘Healing Rooms’ at the Community Church, next to the Hospice Shop on Mill Road. ‘Healing Rooms’ is an international organization based on the principles of the first Healing Rooms started in Spokane Washington in the U.S. 100 years ago, where its success was so great it actually led to the closure of hospitals during its five years of operation. ‘Healing Rooms’ were re-started in 1999 and are now in 69 nations worldwide. New Zealand alone will soon have 45 come July 1st when people are invited to come along and receive prayer for their ailments between 11am and 12noon. ‘Healing Rooms’ will operate on the first and third Saturday of the month.
No appointment is required, just turn up. For more information contact Healing Rooms on 021 420 730 or email hcc.skpp@gmail.com.
Paul Suhr, Andrew Denton, James VanAlstine, Mike Stanton, Alwynne Wedgwood, Monika Sovea, Maree VanAlstine and Pauline Denton
