Miriam looked down at the vine clump and saw the big Canebrake rattlesnake and helped Pete to the truck. They headed for the doctor's office. About a mile and a half down the road, Pete blacked out; and they fell into the midst of a full-scale emergency! From the doctor's office, Pete was taken to an area hospital; but there was not enough antivenin (between 40-50 doses were needed). Soon, he was taken by Medivac helicopter to the M. U. S. C. teaching hospital in Charleston, S. C. About 4 a. m. on Thursday morning, the doctors came to Miriam and said, "Call the family in...his kidneys are shutting down." The family gathered and joined hands in a prayer circle. They asked friends and family everywhere to pray. [Our Sunday school classmates, Liz and Terry Broome, asked all of us to keep her uncle in our prayers.]

Over the next several days/weeks, his organ systems failed, his right arm turned black, and he retained about 100 pounds of fluid in his damaged body. Surgeons removed a soda-can sized chunk of his right arm. "The only system that didn't quit working was my heart," said Pete. About 13 weeks later (Nov. 2000), 74 year old Pete got out of the hospital with loss of vision in one eye, loss of some meat in his right arm, and a profound sense of appreciation and gratitude for the power of prayer. "I know God intervened in my life; and, for what reason, I am still waiting." [televised Feb. 2001] See other faith & health information [here].