'A miracle in this room': Lockport woman beats the odds after suffering multiple strokes
'A miracle in this room': Lockport woman beats the odds after suffering multiple strokes
While recovery from a stroke is different for everyone, a Lockport woman did the unimaginable — returning to her normal routine just weeks after suffering multiple strokes.
LOCKPORT, Ill. - While recovery from a stroke is different for everyone, a Lockport woman did the unimaginable — returning to her normal routine just weeks after suffering multiple strokes.
Her faith community celebrated what they believe is nothing short of a miracle.
What we know:
It was April 2018 when Lisa Johnson-McFarland collapsed at Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church in Lockport.
Her son, Byron, a musician at Shiloh, watched helplessly as his mother lost consciousness during choir practice.
"Seemed to be normal at first. We starting singing and then she sat down and I'm not used to that. Everybody else standing up, singing, and she just sat down and started holding her head," Byron said.
Lisa's brother Timothy, a pastor at Shiloh, recognized immediately that something was very wrong and quickly turned to his faith.
"I kind of identified that something was attacking her that particular day and I just really began to pray and believe God. That's one of our strong beliefs here is we believe in the power of prayer," Timothy said.
Lisa was rushed by ambulance to a hospital before being transferred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where doctors determined she had suffered multiple brain aneurysms.
She underwent 10 hours of surgery and was given a grim prognosis. That's when her family said a miracle happened.
"They said she would need years to walk, years to talk. She walked out of the hospital two weeks later, singing, saying that there's a miracle in this room with my name on it," Byron said.
Nearly seven years later, Lisa welcomed other survivors to join in her celebration. She calls them her miracles.
"Where are all my miracle survivors? Please stand! I have breast cancer survivors… I have kidney survivors. They are all with me today!" Lisa said.
"I'm excited. I'm thrilled. I was here the day that it did happen and I'm just overjoyed that God actually spared her life and you know, gave her another chance," Timothy said.
By the numbers:
More than 100,000 women die from stroke each year — nearly double the number who die from breast cancer.