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Woman from The Woodlands experiences 2 medical miracles
Eight years ago, Marie Perez's son Jacob was diagnosed with leukemia and another rare disease. Perez says the power of prayer helped Jacob make a recovery that saw him play sports and graduate near the top of his class.
Here is a mother's journey of witnessing two miracles.
Marie Perez truly has fought for two lives in the past eight years for her son, Jacob, and herself.
Perez says her son was misdiagnosed for months in 2016 before they learned leukemia and another rare disease were making him so sick. The combination led to a medical crisis during a routine procedure for leukemia. One that led to bone marrow aspiration and a spinal tap.
"We were just waiting to find out if he was in remission, but he had coded on the table," Perez says. "They informed us he was now on a ventilator, intubated, and they didn't know how long he would be in ICU. They were saying that they didn't know exactly what had happened at the time. No one knew that his whole body was riddled with a horrible fungal disease, which they didn't even have treatment for."
The situation seemed hopeless, but Perez says they refused to let the feeling of hopelessness seep in, turning to their faith to get them through.
"He was actually in ICU for over 57 days with no hope that he would ever leave. Doctors had given him the prognosis that he had less than 1% of ever waking up and opening his eyes to us again, and even declaring that within a couple hours on that 57th day that he would pass away," Perez says.
When Perez was encouraged to bid her son farewell forever, she and her husband refused.
"It was so hard, but I called on The Alpha and The Omega that wherever we were limited, wherever the doctors were limited, that He would be the one to answer, that no one else could answer and take our son's life. He was the one who gives life and decides to take life, and where we are limited, He has no limitation," Perez says.
She and her husband rushed to the hospital's chapel to continue those prayers. Two hours later, a nurse raced in to find them. They feared she was there to tell them their son was gone. Instead, they found out there had been an immediate and miraculous turnaround.
"She says, 'he's not dead. From the moment you said the Alpha and Omega and had the last words over your son, the internal bleeding he had stopped. Blood pressure is fine. His numbers are improving from the moment you stepped out and we've been looking for you ever since,'" Perez says. "We ran to our son, and he had color. His mouth wasn't rigid and tight from the pain. The agony that he was experiencing before. From that very moment, we had seen an improvement day by day and within two weeks, he was off the ventilator. However, he had no strength in his body. It was as if we had a newborn baby boy at 11 years old."
A second miracle
Doctors feared Jacob may never be able to live independently, Perez says. His body was weak and he'd been through so much.
Jacob would undergo four years of speech, occupational and physical therapy.
He was taking 67 pills a day between his chemotherapy and steroids along with IV medication for his leukemia.
But Jacob would persevere. He would play high school football and graduate in the top 30 of his class.
Then more medical drama for the Perez family.
Only a month after Jacob finished his treatments, Marie was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.
"My doctor told me that I was actually dealing with kidney disease while Jacob was in treatment, and by God's saving grace, I did not go into renal failure," Perez says. "It wasn't until right when he finished that the symptoms were just unavoidable, and I had to go and ask what was going on with my own body."
She says it was a devastating time for her family, after all they'd been through.
"I think it was especially difficult for my husband, because he loves us, and he wants to be there for us. He was at a loss for words," Perez says. "Doctors told us I would need dialysis and a kidney transplant soon, and that I'd need steroid treatment. I love my doctor and still have the same doctor who diagnosed me, and she honored it when I told her I couldn't do that treatment. There are just too many side effects, and I want to be remembered as the woman, the mom, that my children remember today. My doctor honored that and put together a different game plan."
That was five years ago, and she's still holding on and avoiding a health crisis. Both mom and son remain faithful that they'll remain healthy.
"I am so beyond grateful. I have no words. It's amazing to see how far we've come, how far he's come, and he's currently getting ready to join the Air Force," Perez says.