My heart for this blog is that it is a place of encouragement. One of the best forms of encouragement is getting to hear someone’s story.
Today I want to introduce you to Hosanna.
I hope that you will be encouraged and inspired by her resilience, willingness to adapt, and the way she was strengthened and empowered by her ability to take a risk and move forward. Hosanna is a ray of sunshine to all who get to meet her!
Meet Hosanna.
In May 2015, at the age of 12, Hosanna was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia. Her case became a rare and life-altering one quickly. After being put on a ventilator to assist her breathing, her lungs stopped working, which led to more progressive measures to help her respiratory distress. Complications led to blood clots forming throughout her body, a massive stroke, and a below knee amputation resulting from the sepsis that threatened her life. As doctors prepared the family for the worst, even suggesting that Hosanna may not survive, her family refused to give up hope. Hosanna’s family reached out to friends and family for prayer and after three months in the hospital Hosanna’s story became a miraculous one – she survived!
Hosanna’s road to recovery after leaving the hospital was filled with ups and downs. She questioned why God would let all of this happen to her. She had to learn to do everything in an entirely new way, which presented emotional, physical, and psychological challenges. Hosanna had a prosthetic leg, but lacking the motivation to learn to walk on it, she ended up feeling confined to her wheelchair.
Sometimes it is harder to hope for yourself than it is to hope for other people, and a dark cloud seemed to settle for Hosanna.
Thankfully, even when we lack our own hope, the hope of others can lift us up and that is what happened to Hosanna in the form of Make A Wish. Make-A-Wish reached out asking if Hosanna could attend the Beautifully Flawed retreat. Although all the spots for the 2019 retreat had been filled, the organization felt Hosanna needed to be there…and so she went.
Hosanna’s mom said, “Jesus sent an army called Beautifully Flawed to rescue and restore Hosanna.”
The girls at the retreat poured love into her life, motivated her to do her best, and helped her see her inner and outer beauty. Hosanna received the encouragement she needed to get out of her wheelchair and take her first step to freedom.
After the retreat, she refused to use her wheelchair and began to walk, do exercises, and eat healthier.
In reflection, Hosanna actually said she’s happy her leg was amputated, because if it hadn’t happened she never would have met her new ‘Beautifully Flawed sisters!’
Today, Hosanna’s story is motivating others to do the “impossible!”
The retreat gave me the confidence to do things by myself. We can do anything; it’s just done our way. If you fall, just stand up and keep going and never give up.
– Hosanna
Hosanna’s story reminds me of the power of our mindset. In the Overcome Obstacles course, Nick Vujicic says “I don’t know what’s impossible until I know what’s possible.” If you’re stuck feeling like you’re faced with an impossibility, determine to try to find what IS possible for you.
Go here for more Stories of Hope and pass on a story or two to someone else who needs encouragement to do hard things, or change a mindset, or see their own true beauty.
p.s. Watch this video for a fun glimpse of the Beautifully Flawed Retreat Hosanna attended! Please consider supporting The Beautifully Flawed Foundation in the wonderful work they do!!!
