A Story of Hope Amidst Tragedy

In  November 2011, thirty-three-year-old Andrew Davies checked into a hospital in Birmingham, England, with severe symptoms that, as a dentist and medical professional, he knew could mean trouble. The doctors didn't see what was happening, and he soon had a massive stroke in the area of his brain stem, which left him almost completely paralyzed and on life-support in what is known as locked-in syndrome.  As time progressed and he made little improvement, his parents, wife, siblings, and friends had to adjust their expectations for recovery and cope with seeing a loved one in this condition. The one thing that sustained them all was their faith.

It is natural to question God at times like this, but in their own way, each of them came to realize that they might never understand why it had happened this side of heaven, but they still could trust that God knew what was best. Andy, Emma, and Barbara, his mother, all wrote that their faith strengthened and grew through their struggles. Eventually, they could see some of the good that came from his tragedy.

Andy is home now with special round-the-clock caregivers. Meticulously using a special computer, a few head movements, an infrared box, and a tiny flicker of his thumb, the only movements Andy has, he has typed passages like:

I have tried to explain how my faith has not only been sustained, but also how my thoughts have served to reassure and possibly strengthen my convictions. Three years ago, my family faced an impossible decision. The doctors, giving a purely scientific prognosis said the damage to my brain was permanent and profound and I would only ever be able to blink, and it might be kinder to turn off the ventilator there and then. The other advice my family received was from Christians, who suggested it wasn't all over ...."

Emma, his wife, writes:

It goes without saying that when Andy's illness hit, people were concerned not only for Andy but also how I would cope. I am sure it was in answer to many people's prayers, but I straight away had a rich sense of comfort and peace.

The irony was that although on the outside my circumstances were as bleak as could be..., I was somehow being carried throughout the ten months that Andy was in the hospital, and knew a sense of courage, hope, and peace amongst the storm.

"... it is not always God's will to take away our difficulties, but for us to know His blessing in spite of them."

Barbara Davies, Andy's mother, writes:

Paul was in prison, chained, and under threat of execution, but the letter to the church in Philippi is full of hope and peace. ... being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6). The first time I heard this verse was when we were staying with Andy in November 2012 (about a year after Andy had his stroke).

I am absolutely convinced that God is in complete control, that He has a great divine plan for all of humanity, and personally I feel privileged that He has called me to be a part of the incredible things He is doing in the lives of those I love. The life-changing effects of Andy's stroke have had a deeply profound effect on all who know and love him, but also on many people around the world ....

(See the book, Pressed but Not Crushed, by Andrew, Barbara, and Emma Davies.)

They haven't lost hope that God will show His miraculous power and heal Andy, but if He doesn't, they can accept that because they trust God. If this family, who has been through and is still going through so much, can come out stronger and closer to God, and if they can see the good in everything, what excuse do we have for complaining about hard times or caving under struggles? God is good all the time.

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