Joni Eareckson Tada: ‘Jesus Was With Me’ Through Pneumonia Battle
By Movieguide® Contributor
Joni Eareckson Tada is updating fans on her health after a bout with double pneumonia.
“Like many of the people we serve who struggle with constant health challenges, I can say with them, ‘God rescued me!’” Tada posted on Facebook. “After 16 days in the hospital struggling with double pneumonia, I am home, happy, healing, and resting. The hospital provided oxygen for me, but it’s only temporary.”
She thanked her husband, Ken, as well as “several awesome friends” for taking care of her during this time.
“At night, the promise from God in Isaiah 43:1-2 was such a great source of comfort: ‘Do not be afraid, for you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown,’” the post continued. “Yes, Jesus was with me through every scan, x-ray, blood draw, and breathing treatment.”
Tada then addressed her followers, writing, “THANK YOU for your love, prayers, and support…and for rejoicing with me and Ken as I improve each day! Onward and upward…”
This is not the first recent health battle Tada has faced. She was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer eight years ago and was officially declared cancer-free in 2019.
“Given the aggressive nature of that reoccurring cancer, this news is quite miraculous,” she said at the time.
The writer is also an outspoken advocate for the disability community. Tada was paralyzed after a diving accident in 1967. Her foundation, Joni and Friends, is “committed to reaching and serving people with disabilities with practical help and the saving love of Jesus,” per their website.
Movieguide® previously reported on how Tada’s story continues to inspire people around the world:
Writer and speaker Joni Eareckson Tada is looking back on her life and reflecting on the remarkable ways God is using her story to help others.
“I wrote [memoir Joni] when I was in my 20s, and just eight years beyond my broken neck, my diving accident (in 1967). What did I know back then?” Tada told The Christian Post. “I look back and I think, ‘Why did I think I could write a book?’”
Joni, which has been translated into over 30 languages and made into a movie, is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year.
To celebrate, Tada is releasing a special edition of the book that includes updated photos and a new afterword.
As the Movieguide® Awards performer celebrates this milestone, she is also reflecting on the work she’s been able to do through her book.
“I’m still overwhelmed when I think of the incredible numbers of people with disabilities, specifically, who have been strengthened by the insights I shared in that book,” she shared. “Then I think of how God has used that story to save many lives, I’m absolutely overwhelmed.”
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