Facing Hardship Crisis and Trials Through Faith
A Testimonial of Faith Through Life's Darkest Hours

Author: David A. Zey Email David

In 1985, I was diagnosed with a extremely rare and dangerous condition, medically
termed Basilar Impression. A medical condition so rare that only 66 other cases had been identified since the beginning of recorded medical history, and none of those cases, were exactly like mine. A bone at the top of my spine was protruding into the base of my skull and compressing my brainstem. A minor accident such as a whiplash, or a fall could
cause the bone to snip my brainstem like a pair of scissors. Death would be immediate. Doctors were amazed that I had survived my 29 years without a mishap.

Surgery to remove the bone was my only option, but surgery of this nature had never been performed. I would be the first. I knew the risk and that I might not survive the two operations necessary to correct my condition. This was an exceptionally difficult time for
my wife Susan. She was caring for her terminally ill mom, who was unknowingly less
than 2 months away from reaching the end of her 3 year battle with ALS, also known as,
Lou Gehrig's disease. Susan, was now faced with the possibility, she might loose her husband as well. This was almost more than she could bare.

Just before surgery, a priest gave me my last rites. I hugged and kissed my wife Susan,
and my mom while wondering if this would be the last time I would see and hold them in
this life. I did not fear death because I knew Jesus was with me. My last conscious
memory, was that of concern for them, and the fears they were facing.

The 13 hour operation to remove the bone, was performed through my mouth and
required the insertion of a trachea in order for me to breathe. The operation was a success
A few days following surgery, my brother Mark came to visit me during mid morning,
at a time I knew he should be at work. I could sense something was seriously wrong.
He tried to force a smile on his face. He did not want to upset me in my weakened
condition, knowing I needed to be mentally strong entering the second surgery, which
was only days away. He tried making silly and funny gestures, like those of a clown in an
effort to get me to smile. I kept returning to the same question, “Mark, what is wrong?”
He finally broke down into tears, and told me that his daughter Darleene, my six year old
niece, had tripped and fell, and was accidentally run over by a school bus that was
crossing a parking lot in order to avoid a traffic light. Mark told me the bus had a high
school student driver behind the wheel. Mark told me the driver’s name. I knew the driver. She was the daughter of a swimming instructor who taught me to swim when I was 16 years old.

Darleene’s crushed body, lie 3 floors beneath mine, where doctors were struggling to save
her life. No one was allowed to visit because her chest cavity remained open, to allow
immediate access to her heart. The doctors told my brother, that if she survives, she will
be facing at least 7 more life threatening surgeries, and will be permanently disfigured and disabled. That night, Mark went into the hospital chapel. There he prayed for God’s mercy and love, to release his daughter from her torment. Thirty minutes later God answered Mark’s prayer. Doctors rushed to Darleene’s bedside in response to a code blue. They tried their best, but were unable to revive Darleene. The Lord had embraced Darleene,
and brought her home.

I cried, yet I was consoled with the comfort of knowing, we would someday, be reunited.

As it neared time for my second surgery complications developed. I came down with
pneumonia and began running a high fever. Test revealed that a infection was also
present in my blood.

Doctors ran an extensive battery of test in an effort to locate the source of the
infection. All test came back negative. The doctors even performed an colonoscopy but
it also did not reveal any problems. Over the next several days I was administered a powerful wide spectrum antibiotic in a effort to fight the infection. Every 4 hours they would inject the antibiotic through my ivy. I could feel a painful cold burning sensation during the 20 minutes it took to administer the medication. Every other day they had to move my ivy to another vein because the antibiotic was so powerful, it could actually cause the vein to collapse. At one point my raging fever exceeded 106 degrees. I began having delusions and believing I was dead, I tried to pull the tubes from my arms. I was restrained to the bed, and bags of ice were placed around me in an effort to control the fever. After several days, as mysteriously as it began, the infection finally cleared. The doctors never did discover the cause, or source where the infection originated.

Several days later, I underwent the second surgery. Bone shavings were taken from my
hip. The surgeon then made a incision from the back of my skull, and down my neck.
The bone shavings were used to fuse my spine to my skull, then immobilized with a halo
brace. I was in the hospital for 6 weeks due to complications with pneumonia as well as the infection in my blood with no identifiable source of origin.

Full recovery from the surgery took about a year.

The surgical procedure was recorded into the New England Journal of Medicine.
It became the model used for curing patents with similar disorders. The surgery allowed
me to live a life free from pain, as well as the other symptoms that accompanied the
deformity.

As time pushed forward, it became very clear, my niece’s death, was not without meaning. Darleene’s death occurred on October 11, 1985. Eleven months later on September 11, 1986 a 6 year old boy was killed by his school bus with a 16 year old student driver behind the wheel. Darleene’s mother, Donna Zey Gaetano who was divorced and remarried, decided enough was enough. She began a petition to ban students drivers, and hire adult drivers only. (View Newspaper Article)

The petition went before politicians and educators.

The ban on student bus drivers, the mechanical arm which extends in front of a stopped school bus, these are gifts of protection, gifts of life, purchased for children and parents alike, paid for at the cost of many young lives. Changes put into action and turned to reality because of a six year old little girl, who’s name was Darleene Nicole Zey.

A few years ago during a routine physical, my doctor discovered that I have Hepatitis C. This form of Hepatitis, is not easily transmitted from one individual to another. Transmission occurs from blood to blood contact, such as through a blood transfusion or organ transplant from a infected donor to a uninfected recipient. They also found that my blood has the antigen to Hepatitis B. After advising the doctor's I have never had Hepatitis B, they knew the source was most likely the same which infected me with Hepatitis C. To the uninformed and the misinformed, there are times I feel like a leper in silent isolation. A punishment more severe than facing the disease itself. Sentenced to a life of solitude within a crowd, and no possibility for parole. Through the love of Jesus Christ, I know, I am never alone. No one is to fault for my affliction. I am merely, a medical statistic, of unavoidable circumstance.

During my first surgery in 1985, I required two units of blood. One of the units I received, unfortunately, contained Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B. Almost 20 years later, the mystery was finally revealed regarding the infection I had in my blood after my surgery in '85 where doctors could not identify the source of origin. The source of origin, was the infected blood I received. After being infected, Hepatitis B takes about 2 weeks before the virus manifest itself with raging fever, and extreme flu like symptoms. Once the virus runs it's course, and if the individual's liver survives the attack, the symptoms disappear as quickly as they began, but the blood will always indicate a immunity to the disease, proof of contamination by it.

Prior to 1992, test were not yet available to scan donated blood for the Hepatitis virus.

A liver biopsy revealed that I was in stage 3 of the disease, with significant liver damage. Statistically, within 1 to 5 years I would reach stage 4. In stage 4, cirrhosis and possible liver cancer develop. Susan and I both knew, we had to plan for the worse, pray and hope for the best.

In November of ‘2002 I began a intense dual drug therapy treatment for the next 11 months, in hope of stopping, and possibly even eradicating the disease. Just as I completed the 3rd month of treatment, I was laid off from my job of 18+ years. I received 5 ½ months severance pay and extended medical coverage. Medical coverage would cease July 30th. The severance would expire mid August. The chemo related medication I was taking was unaffordable without insurance.

Our situation felt hopeless, as though our lives were collapsing. While entering this time of distress and chaos, Christ calmed my heart and mind with His presence. He then placed on me what soon began to feel like the heaviest weight I have ever carried. He called me forward to take a very difficult step of faith, in His name.

In my family’s situation, Christ strongly impressed upon my heart and mind; “Everything was going to be alright”. I felt convicted to stand by faith and place my trust completely in Him. I shared this with my wife Susan, and our Christian friends. I jokingly said; “Lord, just one favor, please don’t wait until the 12th hour to make Your will known.”

As the months passed, Susan’s struggle with worry was increasing because there were no opportunities in the job market, and I was experiencing severe side effects from the Hep C medication. On many nights, I knew, that she had cried herself to sleep.There wasn’t anything I could say that would ease her mind with complacency.

Susan became even more concerned when she noticed I began having problems with my memory. At my next doctor’s visit, Susan brought this to my doctor’s attention. His reaction was that of alarmed concern. This was not the response we expected. He informed us that short term memory loss is a very rare side effect from one of the Hep C medications I was taking, and in most cases, is permanent. Testing confirmed, that my memory had been impaired, and unfortunately in my case, the damage is permanent.

In July of ‘2003 it was suggested I might consider applying for Social Security disability. Not just for my memory disorder, but also because in 1999 I received an artificial right hip as result of a bone disease called Avascular Necrosis or AVN for short. AVN is also present in my left hip and will eventually require a total replacement as well.

August 5th I applied for disability. Family and friends tried to prepare me that disability is almost always denied the first time, requires appeals, and usually takes 1 ½ years or longer to get approved, and to begin receiving benefits.

Insurance on my family ended, and severance was about to run out the following week. We kept insurance on myself because of my pre-existing conditions but could not afford the cost for our entire family.

In mid August, after 17 years as a homemaker, Susan felt called that she should find a
job to help support the family. She obeyed, and found a position at a craft store. She disliked the job. It was low pay, retail work and no benefits. She had to work Sundays and miss church. She could not see how pulling her away from church could be God’s will.

While feeling crushed by the weight of the stress surrounding me, I held firmly to my faith and continued to express that God was still assuring me; “Everything is going to be alright”, and I believe Him.

Things did not look good financially. It was getting increasingly difficult for Susan to share in my faith. We began getting our home ready to place it on the market to sell. There was no relieve in sight and we had reached the end of a stable income. Worst of all, it was painfully obvious the 12th hour was finally upon us.

Our Christian friends extended their love to us through prayers, encouragement, companionship, and spiritual support, and we needed it.

At times, sharing and standing by my faith was very difficult in our rapidly, deteriorating situation. After all, I had no authentic proof, only my faith.

In early September, at a last minute notice, Susan and I were invited to a retirement lunch for a friend. A woman from church was there. She asked Susan how things were going with her job at the craft store. She could tell from Susan’s response, she was not happy. A few days later, Susan received a phone call from the same woman. She told Susan, she is a manager for a department in her company, and that a position had become available that day. She said that on her way home, Susan’s face kept appearing in her mind, and she felt compelled to call. She asked Susan if she would be interested in the position. Susan interviewed for the job, and in mid September, Susan was offered the position. With it came more pay and benefits, including medical coverage for her and our family, and no working weekends. Susan was overwhelmed with joy.

God rewarded Susan’s obedience in stepping forward to His call that required sacrifices in her life, for her family, not for herself.

Though her income was short of meeting our monthly bills, it became very clear, God was indeed at work in our lives, and our hearts praised Him.

Christ made His presence known to my family, and He didn’t stop there. In mid October, a month after Susan started her new job, and only a mere two months since I applied, I received notification from Social Security that my disability was approved. They listed my very first day of unemployment as the date I became disabled. I was eligible to begin receiving benefits effective August 5th. I received retro pay for August through October.

We did not have to go a single week, a single day, without income. God turned everything completely around while restructuring our lives.

It was exactly as He told me, Everything was going to be alright! It just did not happen in the way, or timing anyone would have expected. It happened His way, in His timing, for His glory.

When I told our pastor my disability was approved, I’ll never forget the look on his face, or the words that followed. “That’s a GOD thing!”. I replied, “Yes, it is.”

In regards to my Hepatitis C. The treatment was unsuccessful and the virus returned. Blood-work taken in December ‘2004 indicated my liver enzymes are slightly elevated.

Mark Nicholas Zey
March 24, 1959 - January 22, 2006
"We Travel Through This Life Enriched By Those We Love"

In '2006, my brother Mark mentioned earlier in this testimonial, left this life in January due to a heart condition. Two weeks prior to his death, Mark traveled from SC and picked me up in NC on his way to our sister's home in Virginia where he cooked a hog in honor of our nephew. Our nephew received a huge promotion and would be relocating to Texas. Though we talked often on the phone, it had been several months since I had seen Mark. I took a candid picture of Mark (above picture) as he took a moment to rest from cooking.

Three days before Mark's death, he left a voice message on my answering machine regarding a close friend of his who had been in a coma for over two weeks. The doctors did not offer much hope for Dave, and Mark told me that he had pretty much accepted in his mind that Dave was dead. These were the last words I were to hear from my brother. Click to hear message.

Mark always looked forward to the day he would be reunited with his daughter Darleene. Mark, my brother and best friend, is finally home.

My doctor continues to monitor my condition. To date there are no indications of Hep C advancement. The AVN in my left hip has become more evident by means of pain, and is slowly advancing. The arthritis in my neck has also advanced and is causing compression to nerves in my left arm. I view these as expected inconveniences, just bumps in the road. Knowing there are so many others in much worse condition than myself, helps me find complacency to enjoy and appreciate my good health, when compared to theirs.

Though I know there will be tough medical times ahead, I have full confidence in the
Lord and have no fear or anxiety in regards to what each tomorrow may reveal.

Jeremiah 17:7 best states the position in which I feel He placed me.
"But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD , whose confidence is in him."

Christ, has truly blessed me, and my family.

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