Member says “God—not COVID-19—is in charge” thanks CHM for standing by her, Roberta Donnell, Belton, Missouri

*Editor’s note: This information was published in the May 2021 issue of Heartfelt Magazine, CHM’s monthly magazine that provides CHM membership-related tips and tricks, medical advice from doctors, testimonies from CHM members, and more. Please refer to the CHM Guidelines and applicable web pages for the most up-to-date information regarding CHM membership, sharing eligibility, and ministry news.*

On April 2, 2020, I woke up feeling “off.”  When I started drinking my morning coffee, it didn’t taste right. After trying two different cups, I told my husband, David, that I was going back to bed.

By six p.m., I had a fever of 102, my chest was heavy, and I was short of breath. We weren’t sure what to do.

David waited in the parking lot as I went in alone.

Medical staff confirmed it was COVID-19. Furthermore, an EKG documented abnormalities caused by the virus, which concerned the doctor. They wanted me to stay in the hospital. I wasn’t able to have visitors, but I knew I wasn’t alone.

Friends and family supported and prayed for me. As a CHM member, I knew I was lifted in prayer, too. CHM staff are always praying for members and trusting God to know the details. As a further testament to my CHM family’s care, I keep a note from a CHM member in my Bible: “For this I have Jesus,” it says. I’ve clung to this promise many times.

The nurses said a room was ready for me and they would transfer me soon. I told David he could go home.

Before I could be transferred to a room, the doctor returned and said he wanted to try to send me home. After running two more tests, he determined I no longer needed to be admitted to the hospital. The EKG looked fine. I was going home without staying a single night—a direct answer to prayer!

God made clear He is in charge—not COVID-19.

At home, I bombarded myself with home remedies. Within two days, my fever broke. Three to four weeks later, the shortness of breath diminished, and I am now healed.

*Editor's note: For more information about CHM and COVID-19, please visit our Coronavirus page.

My experience with COVID-19 wasn’t the first time I had an illness as a member of CHM.

In the fall of 2015, I had a strep infection in my elbow that spread through my arm. It took a procedure and several weeks of antibiotics to clear up. CHM kindly and patiently walked me through my first experience submitting bills.

In June 2016, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach after exercising. By noon, I was in severe pain. I called CHM because I knew I needed to go to the hospital but didn’t know how that worked with CHM. I will never forget the staff member’s calm voice. She told me to get the medical help I needed and not to worry about anything right then.

After an emergency room visit, a transfer to another hospital, and five days with a tube in my stomach, doctors performed surgery to remove an adhesion wrapped around my small intestine.

In January 2017, I ended up in the hospital with pneumonia after going septic. I was also dealing with a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. It wasn’t until June 2017 that they discovered the leak. I had to undergo surgery to repair the lining between my brain and sinus cavity. 

I once again called CHM to find out the best way to proceed. The staff member I talked to walked me through the sharing process again and blessed me by sending the sweetest card in the mail.

She also put me on the prayer list and I had the amazing experience of receiving cards from all over the country. It’s hard to explain how important they were to me. My body had been through so much and I felt so worn out, but I could feel the prayers from my fellow CHM members.

In January 2018, I had to undergo another surgery for the CSF leak, and just like all my previous CHM experiences, I felt immense care and concern from staff members.

Through all these medical events, God has been so merciful to me and my CHM family has stood by me.