Dear all,You may remember a few months ago I posted a prayer request for a close friend of mine, Abigail Witchalls who was stabbed in the neck while walking her 2 year old son close to her house. Many of you prayed, and I do really thank you for that. i thought you may be interested to know the situation now. Abigail is now 5 months pregnant and the pregnancy is progressing normally (she discovered she was pregnant with her second child only after the attack). The knife wound was revealed to have severed her spinal cord completely, according to scans. She was left fully paralysed from the neck down. Abigail's case caught the media's attention everyday for several weeks...as a young (26yrs) devoutly Catholic mother, Abigail was an amazing witness to the Faith - telling reporters, through a tube in her throat, how blessed she was, and that 'God was doing beautiful things'...she asked people for their prayers, and her heroic way of suffering was an insipration to many. Newspaper articles were written about her. people who didnt know her were being brought back to the Church. She received tens of thousands of letters and cards, and communities worldwide were praying for her.
Over the last couple fo months, Abi has amazed doctors with her recovery. Despite being told she would never regain feeling below the neck, and that she would likely not be able to breathe alone, Abi is now experiecing sensations over every part of her body. She can now move her legs a little and has had movements in her right arm especially. She breathes alone fully, and is speaking too (in a whisper). the knife wound affected her vocal chords so her voice isnt fully back to normal. She can now also eat without relying on a tube through the nose. Last month, her husband was allowed to bring her to a park local to the hospital where we met her with our children, for a party for her son's second birthday.
It is worth bearing in mind that after the attack, two doctors declared her brain dead, and one said that even if she did recover she would be severely brain-damaged and if she should have a heart attack it "wouldnt be worth reviving her".
Abigail's spirits, thought the last few months, have been high, and despite all the problems stacked up against her, she is full of hope. She says she has really benefitted by everyone's prayers - not just for her but for her husband and child...and the one on the womb. She has even been told, that, despite her severe paralysis, that she can give birth naturally should she want to (which she does).
Please would you continue to pray for Abigail. She still has a long way to go. the baby will be born around Christmas time, and as yet she has not enough movement to be able to hold or support the baby alone. She really wants people to pray that her arms gain sufficient movement for her to be able to hold the baby and to breastfeed.
Some of us as friends and her family have decided to start a 40 day pray and fast period for Abigail. The 40 days starts today and ends on October 13 - the anniversaary of the last day of apparitions from Our Lady of Fatima. It seems that Our Lady of fatima, and JPII have been quite involved in Abigail's recovery.
thanks again for your prayers. Hope you don't mind me posting this on this site.
James
