The Sunday Mail
Edith Penduka – Blood Recipient Testimonial
When l received a call from my dear friend, she was sobbing on the other end of the line.
She explained her situation and I knew I had to be on the next bus to Harare to be with her.
But as soon as I had made that decision, I remembered that I was scheduled to fulfil some fixtures in Masvingo the very next day with the girls’ basketball team. I helped to coach them.
Later on that night, I packed two bags – a small cooler bag with refreshments for the trip and a weekend bag for Harare. I said my prayers and slept soundly.
The next day started early at Kyle College and we won both matches convincingly. As we were about to leave, one of our girls had an asthma attack and that delayed our departure by four hours.
As we chatted with my fellow coach I remember saying, “Many times we plan to do A, B and C and yet God has his purposes which we so often ignore.”
We finally departed at around 4p.m and stopped over in Mvuma to buy supper for the girls.
The last thing I remember doing was sending an sms to my friend, explaining that I would only make it the next day. How very disappointed I was, and how I prayed that God would have his way as l closed my eyes to have a nap.
The next time I opened my eyes, I saw my brother and sister looking down at me.
How much I wanted to explain how badly I wanted to get to Harare. Slowly, I realised that I could not speak, I could not get up and that I was in a hospital.
As the days went by, my sister began to describe all that had transpired. It all sounded like an episode of Greys Anatomy.
I had had eight pints of blood transfused, been in theatre for up to eight hours with more than five medical specialists taking turns to use the skill they had over my body.
For about 10 days, my family, friends, church and well wishers had been praying that I would start breathing without the use of a ventilator and come out of the coma.
Furthermore, the doctors were not sure if there had been any brain damage as my brain was swollen. I was in the Intensive Care Unit.
Many questions came to mind yet nobody could give me answers. I just remember a gentle voice assuring me that I was safe. It said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
I then realized that I had survived a terrible accident. I had terrible facial lacerations, a damaged shoulder, broken jaw bones and many related complications. I remember the peace I felt in my heart whenever I saw groups of strangers praying at my bedside. I felt the love of God.
As the weeks progressed, I slowly realized the extent of my injuries. I escaped death for a reason.
The neuro-surgeon who was treating me advised me that I had no feeling or movement in my left arm because I had severed the brachial plaxa nerve, hence I needed to go for surgery in two days.
The surgery was unsuccessful and I could no longer use my left arm.
Hearing all this news was very difficult and it affected my siblings most as they were very hopeful that I would make a full recovery.
Today, I can type and carry a few things using my left arm and I still believe that God will heal it completely.
My face is scared and this at times serves as a painful reminder of what happened to me.
I have embraced the accident and use it as an opportunity to share how God is alive in me and how He saved me.
God worked a miracle in my life, and He is in control.
Of course, I have down times but God has reassured me that He loves me.
Today I walk, talk, and live knowing that life is a gift. It is ultimately an opportunity to live our life to the glory of God and to shine a light for Christ’s sake.
I am also very grateful for the men and women who took time to give me life, the BLOOD DONORS that gave a part of themselves to me.
I have life today because of the heroes that walk past me everyday, the blood donors that some forget to celebrate. I celebrate them and remember them every year on the 29th of July. I call it “Life Day”, because life was given back to me on that day.
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