February 2

God Moments, the magnitude of which I am amazed at and shall recall all the days of my life. There are just some days you can't forget, like this date, October 10th, 1986. This is the date that my momma came home from the hospital after suffering an aortic aneurysm that nearly took her life. Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, the name itself speaks to me, 33 days prior to my marriage to my husband.

Arriving at the hospital, the doctors gave my dear momma a 5% chance of survival. The day started as any other, me rushing to get to work, mom, coming down from making the beds. She was in the living room and I heard her talking; she didn't sound right and so I looked up; she looked so gray and I felt myself beginning to stand and at that moment she said "I just got a sharp pain" but before she could say more, she began to shake violently and started to fall; I do not remember how I got her the seven feet into the dining room and sat her on the chair but I remember I screamed "oh my God".

She became unconscious and I ran to get her nitro as I thought she was having a heart attack. I placed three under her tongue and called 911. The doorbell rang and I had to leave my mom sitting in the dining room chair to go downstairs to open the door. Running back up the stairs, when I saw my mom, she was leaning to her right; I don't know how she didn't fall off the chair but it was as if someone were holding her up. When EMS came upstairs they said she was very sick and began giving her oxygen; I asked them to take her to her hospital "Our Lady of Mercy" but they told me they couldn't. I pleaded; they said "if she tells us herself, we can. Otherwise we have to take her to a municipal hospital." Looking at my mom how could I have expected her to tell them but she removed the oxygen mask and in such a weak whisper said "take me to Our Lady of Mercy". I think they were in more shock than I was but we went to her hospital.

At the hospital she went straight into emergency surgery; I went straight into the Chapel and prayed. My mom was in surgery and I saw her 12 hours later. Things were touch and go for the next 48 hours and during that time, her doctor asked who was with my mom when this occurred. I told him I was and he told me I saved my mother's life by giving her the nitro. Oh I knew it wasn't me, it was God. Yes, I knew he was with me from the moment I screamed "oh my God" to the moment they took my mom to the hospital to the day my mom attended my wedding.

Thinking back, I remember how desperate I was, how scared, how confused; but I also knew He was with me; somehow, during all the chaos and confusion, I felt His presence and that calmed me. I knew that day, but, honestly I knew before that day and till this day, I know I could never make it without Him, that His presence is with us; yes always with us. Thanks be to God forever.

One thing, I would also like to share. When my brother arrived at the hospital that day, and he saw me crying, he put his arms around me saying "don't cry Joann, I prayed to God to take me instead". My dear brother Anthony passed on February 26, 1987, five months after that day. HE is home in Heaven and my mom lived till 1995 and passed on May 27th.

Joann Doka