I’ll Raise a Hallelujah!

By Alison Stoner

In May of 2020 my daughter, Kate, had a stroke. I can remember the day so vividly. It was a warm, Spring day and we were enjoying a family walk on the nearby trail. Kate, who at the time was just a week away from turning two years old, began to get fussy and agitated, and thinking she was just ready for lunch and her nap, we headed home. Only, when we got home her mood only worsened with every attempt to soothe her.

We were gathered in the kitchen in attempts to find her a snack when I noticed something very odd in her facial expression. Because she was in my husband’s arms I was able to see her full face and all of her features, and my heart sank. My heart went back 20 years to my father, whom I’d witnessed similar facial expressions with… “Matt, I think she’s having a stroke,” I said as I reached for the phone to call 9-1-1.

The next few hours were a flurry of navigating the emergency and hospital protocols that the Covid pandemic had brought on. Choosing which parent would go with Kate (since only one of us was allowed with her at a time - and we could only switch out every seven days), and attending to the emotional aftermath that the traumatic scene had on our older two children. We had to sign waivers for blood transfusions and give the medical staff permission to do whatever it took to revive our sweet baby girl in case things went south fast. And, a couple hours later, she took yet another trip in an ambulance to a hospital that was more equipped for her needs.

Cords and IVs galore. Brain scans and heart monitors. Being trapped in a hospital room. Having to ask the nurse for pads because I started my period during the five day stay where I wouldn’t leave my daughter’s side. The days were long, scary, and dismal. 

But in the end, Kate’s story is miraculous. 

One test we did at home while on the phone with 9-1-1 was an attempt to get her to stand up and walk. Immediately upon setting her down she crumbled to the floor. The entire left side of her body was limp and droopy. Upon arriving at Mott Children’s Hospital, they confirmed paralysis of the left side of her body, which included vision loss in her left eye. An MRI confirmed a spot on the right side of her brain, indicating a stroke.

Over the next 48 hours, however, we watched as our little girl regained her strength! Movement in fingers and toes shifted to hands and feet to arms and legs. Her case became a medical anomaly as doctors watched her quickly heal from any repercussions of the stroke.

Kate’s vision in her left eye was the last piece of the puzzle. As I laid in the bed watching repeat episodes of Peppa Pig with her I praised God that my little girl would be able to walk and write! I was okay with impaired vision being her only lasting symptom of the stroke given all that she had been spared of.

But God.

Isn’t that how many tales of medical anomalies go?

You see, while I may have been the only parent allowed in the hospital room with Kate as she recovered, there was a whole flood of people outside the walls of the building that were praying for Kate. And they weren’t saying “thoughts and prayers” - they were storming heaven asking and pleading for complete healing of her (almost) two year old body.

And that’s exactly what happened. Kate’s vision returned. Her energy returned. Her strength returned.

It became hard to contain the toddler to the hospital room that was our boundary.

Kate’s ticket out of the hospital was a second MRI to get another look at the spot in the brain where the stroke occurred. I was told that while the stroke would most likely be reduced, it would still be visible on the MRI - the purpose was to track any changes.

Because she was a wiggly toddler, the nurses asked if I would go into the scan with her in hopes that my presence would calm her and show her that she didn’t need to be afraid. As we started to slide in the tube that would dictate her future, I asked her if she wanted to sing some songs. It was part of our bedtime routine to sing songs like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” and “You Are My Sunshine”, and I figured one of those songs would help calm her. I was shocked, however, when my little baby declared, “Yes! Sing Hallelujah!” (Raise a Hallelujah by Bethel).

Even toddlers understand that our battles can be fought by praising our Savior.

The results of the MRI showed that there was no longer a spot on the right side of the brain where the stroke had been. This resulted in a whole slew of questions from the medical team indicating that they had misread, and therefore misdiagnosed, her first MRI.

While they debated amongst themselves, I praised God for a complete healing! I didn’t need the doctors to confirm medically what I knew the Lord had done miraculously.

At the Christmas Eve service at our church this past Christmas I was speaking to a man that we’ve grown close to over the years. He shared with me that he had just recently shared with someone the story of Kate’s miraculous healing. He went on to talk about how he remembers that time being so pivotal for our church - how we all came together to lift her up to our Savior. How everyone’s faith was encouraged and strengthened by her healing.

As he talked, tears filled my eyes.

I often look at Kate as my walking miracle, and every year around her birthday I am overcome with joy by the gift that my God gave us in sparing her life. Her story changed my faith and the way I look at miracles. Through her, God showed me that He still performs miracles and that healings like we read about in the Bible are still stories that are written on this earth.

While her story is so impactful for me as her mom, I had no idea how it encouraged others. I was blown away by the fact that six years later people are still sharing the story with others.

Recently the Lord has been speaking to me about two very distinct things: Remembrance and breakthrough. Kate’s story is at the forefront of my mind as I dwell on those topics and what the Lord is trying to tell me right now.

While there’s been months of unpacking of these ideas, I can boil it down simply to two truths:

Remembrance stirs on faith. Remembering the ways that the Lord has been faithful in the past gives us hope in the fact that He can (will) do it again. As we dwell on the seasons the Lord has walked us through and how He has provided in the thick of our despair, our faith increases as we face our current circumstances.

And, Faith stirs on breakthrough. As we remember all the ways the Lord has been good to just in the past, our faith builds. Through faith, we pray bold prayers that lead to the expectation that the Lord will break through once again.

I challenge you with one thing as I share this testimony with you. I encourage you to ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind a time when His miraculous power was shown. I pray that as He reveals this to you, that you pray with a grateful heart, giving Him glory and praise for the work He did in your life. As you enter into this state of prayer, ask that He not let you forget this moment in time where He revealed Himself to be faithful. And, if you’re facing a current obstacle that you’re needing to see breakthrough in, I pray that you boldly declare, “You did it once and I believe you will do it again!”

God doesn’t run out of miracles my friends. Don’t run out of faith.