Testimony of God's Healing Touch

Last fall I posted prayer requests for a young man in our church that was deathly ill.  Below is his mom's testimony of how God worked a miracle.

God’s touch on Brandon

MATTHEW 18:20

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

Over the summer of ’09 my 24yr old son, Brandon Howard, was working on a fishing tender Traci-C. It was a seasonal job that lasted 6 mos. The last 6 wks were spent in Wrangell, AK where the boat was being prepared for sale. Brandon was really looking forward to coming home to Sitka. While he was in Wrangell I attended our church special service with guest speaker District Youth Pastor to the Assembly of God, Mark Zweifel on September 19, 2009. Mark’s sermon was very powerful and during an alter call, fully willing to accept “The Word” from my seat; he said “…there is someone with family issues… There is someone willing to accept that this is just how it is, but I have a message for you…!” before I knew it I was 3 feet down the aisle going up to accept this- (Thinking that it had to do with my sisters and I.). Brandon and his father had not been in contact for almost a yr. Tony, his father, living in NC. During the prayer Mark said, “I don’t know you or anything about you, I know you have been willing to accept that this is just how it is, but don’t give up, GOD is not done working on your family...”

Three weeks later October 12, Tony called Brandon just as the tender was being put back in the water for its return to Sitka. Upon arrival to Sitka, there was unloading of the vessel to prepare it for timber runs and new crew.

On October 24, Brandon and I attended our church evening service. With arms open Brandon accepted prayer from one of the elders. By the 26^th Brandon had gotten a small tickle in his throat, and a slight cough. This condition steadily worsened, and by Wed. he was being seen in clinic. Brandon was told that “otherwise healthy young men would not be receiving the H1N1 treatment of Tamiflu” Because of limited supply Tamiflu was being reserved for the young and old, or people with chronic conditions. Brandon’s condition improved slightly by Thursday, we had called clinic to tell them as instructed. By Friday, his fever had reached 105 degrees and cough was continual, he was now spitting up blood.

On Saturday, October 31, Brandon was in ER being admitted. Diagnosis- suspected Swine Flu, de-conditioning, it was discovered that he had Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus Pneumonia.

On Sunday November 1, all tests indicated condition worsening-

By Monday, November 2, he was being moved to ICU, x-rays and labs indicated continual worsening. Brandon was getting up to 7 x-rays a day. Later that evening the doctor talked to Brandon about putting him on a ventilator, (medically induced coma) “it would only be for 1-2 days…” to give his body a chance to rest while the antibiotics took hold as Brandon’s cough was continual. Brandon had texted his father but hadn’t gotten any response, as his father was at work. I had asked one of our church elders to come and bless Brandon before he was to go under. Ms Mae Dunsing arrived just in time before they put him out. That night the respiratory therapist on duty almost 24 hours by that time discovered Brandon’s pump malfunctioned. Brandon was being overdosed on Vancronium/paralytic for 2 1/2 hours.

November 3, the doctor on duty and I discussed Brandon’s overdose, and it was felt he would have no long term effects. She asked if there was anything she could do for us, I asked if she were a believer she said she was and that she would pray for him.

By November 4, my mother and I were in the critical care waiting room discussing Tony, and ways to try and reach him. Tony and I hadn’t talked in 6yrs and I had no way of reaching him. Brandon’s cell phone needed a PIN to access his contact list, and I didn’t have the PIN. I stopped to answer my cell phone and it was Tony (that was a God thing). At that time there was talk of medivac-ing Brandon to Alaska Native Medical Center, Anchorage but Brandon had made slight improvement. Within 2 hours I was calling Tony to tell him of the decision to go ahead with the medivac. Brandon would be leaving via air ambulance to Anchorage, flight time 1 hour 15 minutes. Weather forecast was storm approaching, high winds and rain. As the jet ascended the clouds parted.

When Brandon arrived the flight nurse reported that his left lung had collapsed. Extra staff had been called in for his arrival to the ICU. When my sister, Cindy, and I arrived via commercial flight 6 hours later, the only good news they could tell us was “he’s young”. I had contacted our friend Teri Lundy, a former intercessor with our church in Sitka, and currently a youth bible study teacher with the Alaska Native Assembly of God in Anchorage. At Midnight, before she arrived Teri text her youth to pray for Brandon. By 1:30AM when we were leaving Teri was coming down the hall, as I told her of Brandon’s condition, she said “NO, I am not done fighting for him!” Teri wanted to stay and pray. When we hugged, I immediately felt the Holy Spirit enter me; it was like a light switch. Words of Hope flowed from me, they were not my words I was hearing them for the first time. Everything changed for me at that moment. “This will all be for the Glory of God; we will not shine the light on the enemy…”  As Cindy and I drove away to locate our hotel, with excitement I told her that I could “feel them praying for us!” I felt waves flow through me, over and over. At that moment, 2:02am I started receiving texts of scripture from Teri her youth had sent for me.  

Psalm 28:1-2¹ To You I will cry, O LORD my Rock:
         Do not be silent to me,
         Lest, if You are silent to me,
         I become like those who go down to the pit.
 ² Hear the voice of my supplications
         When I cry to You,
         When I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

Psalm 28 6-7 ⁶ Blessed be the LORD,
         Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
 ⁷ The LORD is my strength and my shield;
         My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped;
         Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,
         And with my song I will praise Him.

Teri had stayed until 4:30AM praying.

November 5, Brandon’s fever had reached 105 again, more equipment, more tests, more time needed to wait. Tony was due in at approximately midnight. At that point the doctor told me to pray Brandon’s condition to improve. So while I waited, I stood outside Brandon’s room praying for our Lord’s mercy on our son’s life. While I prayed, I received a vision of 3 Angels, and Jesus standing around Brandon. The Angels were scooping stuff out of Brandon’s chest. Jesus stood behind 2 of the Angels. This was a gift; I had never received vision before while praying.

For 3 days Tony talked while Brandon slept. Brandon’s fever still high, each x-ray a little worse. As they eased Brandon off sedation, he would not wake. The staff was concerned. On the 3rd day of almost no sedation Brandon’s eyes would flutter open. The 4^th day he could say one word, “Angels…” Day 5, I asked Brandon what he was talking about before; he said he felt the whole time he was out he “was dreaming of Angels”. To me this was affirmation to my vision. We had been praying that “he would be made new” that “staff would call Brandon’s healing miraculous.”

Tony decided to stay with Brandon during the night and I would be there during the day so that Brandon would have someone there with him always. Brandon’s condition was improving. On November 12^th they moved Brandon off ICU. By the 13^th, Brandon was back in ICU and put back on the ventilator due to respiratory distress. Brandon had hospital acquired pneumonia. 5 days later on the 18th Brandon was removed from the ventilator. Teri said that she was going to pray that Tony would see that there was a clear battle going on for our son’s life. On the 21^st while Tony slept he dreamt of warfare, he could ‘hear someone coughing while in the trenches”. From his daze he heard Brandon calling for the nurse, Brandon’s left lung collapsed again. We were told by Dr. Engelkin they didn’t know why Brandon wasn’t responding the way previous patients had. (Brandon was the14^th case in 2 mo) The doctors had been talking to the CDC about Brandon’s condition. As Tony was leaving for the Hotel he said, “It’s like there’s a battle going on for our son’s life, a battle between good and evil…” Sunday 22^nd our congregation called the ICU and prayed over the phone for Brandon, his father and I. The youth at Anchorage Native Assembly were still praying for us as well.  Many, many people all over the country were praying, we were receiving scripture and prayer daily via cell. Brandon continued to improve.

For 10 days, 2 of his friends from Sitka had come up and waited in the waiting room for the time that they could see Brandon. Charles and EJ his buddies were there daily for up to 5 hours, just waiting. When on the 22^nd they were finally able to see Brandon they were shocked Brandon had lost 40 lbs and was still hooked up to a lot of equipment. I told them this was Brandon looking good, that he was doing good.

Tuesday the 24^th the doctors ordered a CATSCAN, it was discovered that Brandon had BLEBS on his lungs (essentially big blisters) another scan would be done in 4 days. At that time they would determine when surgery would be done to repair this condition. They wanted to give his lungs time to heal from the pneumonia. I contacted some of my church family to pray that “Brandon would not lose ground to the enemy anymore”, and we continued to pray he would be made new. By Friday 3 days had past, the doctor ordered another scan. Dr Farah Lovely wanted to talk to his father and I about the results. She pulled up Tuesday scan showing that both of Brandon’s lungs had collapsed on that Saturday, and then she compared Friday’s scan took a step back and said“…this is miraculous, look at all the improvements…!”

By the time Brandon was moved off the ICU, the staff was calling him the miracle boy. He had lived through 2 lung collapse, 1 where both lungs had collapsed at once, 3 different pneumonia, BLEBS, and an overdose. Brandon’s stay in Anchorage lasted 6 weeks, 5 weeks in the hospital. Only one week not in ICU. I was asked at one point why I think God was letting this happen, the answer, “ Brandon has always attracted people of all belief’s I think this will all be to the glory of God, his story will reach many people.”

            Brandon was told many times in Anchorage that he would need to be on oxygen for at least 6 month to a yr and that he would have lifelong residual effects of this illness.  When we arrived back in Sitka 12.13, Brandon did not have to travel with oxygen, this came to the amazement of the staff here in Sitka that cared for him. “….Brandon was going down and fast when he left here, and for him to not need oxygen now, that’s miraculous…”

Brandon’s doctor in Sitka told him the infection in his lungs was fleshing eating. He was diagnosed with MRSA of the lungs while in Anchorage. Brandon’s Sitka doctor talked with Dr. Engelkin, Engelkin said “to his knowledge Brandon was the worst case in Alaska to have survived”.

During this trauma “We” were carried; all our needs were met, when I couldn’t decide if I needed to sit down we were taken care of. 

I knew, when people from Church were with me I felt calmness in my spirit and when Cindy and I were flying up, I dozed for about 10 min when I woke I felt I had received a message from God, Cindy asked what I heard “Now that you are quiet” I was frantic for 8 days, not sleeping pacing and worrying. Now I can look back and see so clearly that we were never alone…

People approach me still and ask about Brandon, I have said and continue to say, this was due to Prayer, Grace and Mercy. So many people had prayed, and were affected by this. The youth at the Alaska Native Assembly of God prayed for someone they didn’t know, many, many prayed for someone they didn’t know and it is through their efforts and God’s Grace and Mercy our son is with us.

Brandon has received a clean bill of health, Normal pulmonary function tests-

There is a God

Prayer is Powerful!