It all started on a fine day in May '98. My young energetic daughter Shohini Roka, 8 years of age, went to school as usual, returned home and played with her friends like all normal children do. At around 6 pm, I gave her a bath, and as I was wiping her body she suddenly cried with intense pain in the head, fainted and started vomiting. I immediately called a doctor who said that she should be taken to a neurologist. The neurologist confirmed through the CT scan and Lumber Puncture that she had a brain haemorrhage, and it was absolutely necessary to take her to AIIMS Hospital in Delhi immediately.

My husband and I were thoroughly shattered and started praying to all the gods and even to Mother Mary. My husband went to get the air tickets and I stayed with the child at the nursing home, while we left all hotel reservations in the hands of our friends. A room was booked for us in the CNI (Church of North India, Delhi) guest house as one of our friends worked there. My daughter was slowly beginning to feel very drowsy and almost all doing the entire journey to Delhi for 2 hours she slept in the airplane. On reaching there we found that they were having a special prayer. We took our daughter there and a special prayer for the Lord's protection was said for her also.

As the prayer was going on, my husband started to hunt from an old telephone directory, the number of the neurosurgeon who had been referred to us from Shanti Nursing Home in Silliguri. The most wonderful thing happened now. As the directory was old the doctor was not listed as Head of Department but a similar name was found way down the list. Praying that he would be able to help, he dialled that number and immediately got connected. The person who answered was the very doctor we were looking for. He listened to our problem and though it was a holiday and the OPD would be closed for the next few days, he told us to come to the hospital at 8 am the following morning and he would see her in the ward itself. (I would like to mention here that we have tried to get him on this very number so many times afterwards but were never successful).

I know that the Lord was instrumental in this, as it is extremely difficult to get to doctors, especially in a place like Delhi. Later we found out that this neurosurgeon was THE BEST in India in operating aneurysms, the cause of the haemorrhage. From that night on I started having deep faith in the Lord and started praying to him. My daughter was immediately hospitalized and through various tests it was confirmed that the haemorrhage had occurred deep inside the left side of the brain and that she would require two operations. He also said that this operation would be extremely delicate and that it may leave her abnormal. We saw many patients who had become abnormal after such an operation, but there was no choice-the artery inside her brain had ballooned and if it burst again, there would be no hope for her.

The date for the operation was fixed, the doctor told us that she would be required to stay in the Intensive Care Unit for at least a week or even more. We were so worried and we thought that we would never be able to see our child being wheeled into the operation theater. We prayed and gave our daughter into the Lord’s hands. On the day of the operation I even made my daughter repeat the Protection Prayer and as she was taken inside, I had a wonderful feeling. A power so strong which I cannot define, gushed forth within me and I knew my daughter would be healed. We felt no fear, our faith and confidence in the success of the operation was so great that I even went home to freshen up.

The operation started at 11 am and ended at 4 pm. We stood outside the theatre praying. At around 4.30 pm the doctor in charge of the operation, came out of the theatre and said the operation was a thorough success. The haemorrhage was inside a difficult place, the artery was clipped and she would not require a second operation! We thanked the Lord with all our heart.

At around 7 pm the doctor called us into the ICU. Our daughter had recovered and was smiling. Though she had tubes coming out from all over her head her first question was, "When can I go home ?" and the second, "May I have a coke?" A miracle had taken place. She was completely normal. The doctors were shocked and even said she could be given fresh fruit juice. The Lord had touched her and answered our prayers. She stayed in the ICU for just that one night and in the hospital for 5 days more. In those five days she would constantly feel hungry. Her face had swollen up and her eyes were completely closed but she had enough spirit in her to make jokes about it. Doctors and other people were shocked at the miraculous recovery. One of the Doctors commented that it is success like these that make their job worthwhile. On the 10th day after she was discharged we took her to the hospital to remove the stitches and after a week we came back home to Darjeeling.

This January we went for a checkup and the doctor confirmed that she was completely healed. She is now normal, going to school and has almost forgotten about her operation. Thank you Lord for bringing us close to you through her operation. To thank and praise the Lord I regularly attend the Cathedral Charismatic Prayer Service. During the Prayer Service, I do give witness.