Strength Needed in the Face of Tragedy

by Pam

I want to tell you a story about a 26 year-old Chadd Michael. He had gotten this infection that collected in two valves of his heart a few years ago. This infection then sloughed off and went to his brain. This caused him to have a stroke on Monday March 31. Then around 9 a.m., while in the ER, he flat lined. They were able to revive him and he was then admitted into the ICU. He was put on life support.

Over the next couple of days the infection showed its damage. See, when he flat-lined in the ER, it took them a while to revive him. Due to the lack of oxygen to his brain, he suffered irreversible brain damage.

This infection was quickly destroying his body. His brain had become severely swollen; the fever kept spiking then coming back down. His heart was pumping over time, struggling because the infection has blocked one valve and part of another.

Body started to shut down!

On Thursday evening April 3rd, his kidneys started to shut down. By Friday morning April 4th they shut down. Then his parents decided to take him off life support, which they did.

He was moved to a private room and kept very comfortable until he passed away Saturday morning April 5th. The infection had started all of this. How did he get it you ask? You see, he was struggling with a heroin drug addiction.

Heroin took everything from him!

Heroin took everything from him. All his belongings he sold. His pride stripped away. Heroin took his family, not because they didn’t want to be around him. He was too ashamed to be around them for fear they’d find out he was using.

See, shame is a big part of this addiction which causes isolation. I know he loved his family very much and wanted to protect them from his addiction. Yes this is a very sad story, but it is one that needs to be told. People worry about over dosing and not the infection that can come with intravenous drug use.

He didn’t want to die!

Chadd didn’t want to die. He told me this when we were waiting for the ambulance to come on Monday March 31st. I can’t let his story end like this. How do I know so much of his story you ask? I was blessed to be his mother. This is my son’s story. Yeah, go ahead and say “oh no.” You’re wondering how am I doing? Oh, I am very sad and I have this hole in my heart. This hole will never go away.

Both children struggled with heroin addiction

I only have 2 children, 1-son and 1-daughter. Both of my children were struggling with a heroin addiction. They were not only siblings, but best friends; best friends in everything they did, including their addiction.

See I knew this was coming. To some this may sound crazy. Last June I was standing on my deck feeling panicky, knowing I was gonna lose one of my children. I heard “Yeah, your right. What are you gonna do? You need to come back home. Because when this happens your gonna need me.”

November the year before this happened, I asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I have told people that I knew this day was coming. I am sure some just thought it was just me being so worried about my children that they didn’t believe what I was saying.

But I believed in what I was told. Today, here I am at the very day that my Lord and Savior told me that was coming. He is carrying me right now. Just like he said “I do need him.”

God knows what we need. We really don’t, we just think we do. We have an awesome God. He will carry us through the worst of times, Trust me, I could not do this without him.

Yes this can be you! Look at your family; they can be in my shoes. Now more than ever I believe, Do you? It’s easy; all you have to do is just ask him to be Your Lord and Savior. Trust me; he is waiting on you to just call on him!

and Finally Remember:

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
– Matthew 7:7-8

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