I was born with cerebral palsy now I am healed. I had a stroke in the womb that caused a blood clot and scarring on my brain. For the first five years of my life, I would walk on my tiptoes. My biological dad did that, too, so they did not think anything of it at first. I started doing sports, and I would say, “My leg hurts.” It would spasm. So they did an MRI, and it showed cerebral palsy.
I started going to PT and wore a cast to correct my foot because my bone structure was off because of how I walked. I had to wear a plastic foot brace when the cast came off to keep my foot trained. I wore that for six months to a year. After that, I could not do sports.
You could not tell by looking at me that something was wrong but as I got older, I noticed more things because it progressed. I understood what was happening but did not think about it. I was not concerned about getting healed, and my family are not yet Christians. When I came to BSSM, Karina asked me about my limp. People would say to me, “I’m praying for you.” I did not think I needed healing because it had become part of my life.
We got to the worship set in December. When Karina laid her hands on me and said, “Be healed,” I felt something right then. I could feel that I did not have pain in my calf from jumping, and I always have pain. Then she prayed for me, and my back was the first thing that I noticed was different. I could crack my back. My arm did not extend normally, so a nerve would pinch if I turned it the wrong way, and pain would shoot down to my thumb. I put my arms out after she prayed because I could feel something had shifted in my leg. The most obvious thing I could think of to test it was to put my arms out.
At that moment when someone’s hand was there and my fingers touched it, I heard God say, “It’s done.” I could feel it from my head to my toe. All my fingers had a different feeling. I could now hold a pen correctly. I used to have to hold it like a little kid in my fist. I pointed my foot and that was the craziest thing because it was not uncomfortable. The next couple of days after, I could feel my whole body differently.
The next morning, I woke up and thought, I hope it’s still there. He’s God, so it should be there. I wrote my name the next morning with my right hand. I told all my roommates. For the next four days, I could feel the weirdest sensation. It was like two wires clicking all over my body. I cracked my back every two seconds because I could not do that before. I could rotate my arm without it clicking. The smallest thing like being able to hold a pen is the biggest joy. It was hard to explain that to my friends growing up.
My eyes would droop when I was tired. My muscle function would give out. I did not realize how much I missed until I had it. I went on a walk, and my leg wasn’t tired afterwards. If I jumped, I did not have pain in my calf.
Since my mom is a nurse, I told her what happened, and she said, “You need an MRI.” When I went home for Christmas break, I pointed my foot at her. She said, “OK. I don’t know what’s going on, but I am happy.” I went to a youth group that I used to work at. I told a girl with a broken foot, “I am going to release this over you.” In the middle of the service, she stood up and looked at me. Then she jumped on her broken foot, removed her cast and it was healed.
When I asked her what clicked for her. She said she felt the Lord tell her to close her eyes for a second. She saw the clip of The Chosen when Jesus healed the paralytic. She thought, If Payton was healed, I can be healed! I think it’s ironic that the same show that sparked the discussion led to my healing God used in her healing as well!
