Here’s how God has shown up in Greenville, North Carolina 27834.
It was a rainy July day in 2018 when Bruce and Helena Ausink were driving down I-95 with their three daughters, heading to a family reunion. The roads were slick, the rain unrelenting — and in a moment, their lives changed forever.
“Our car hydroplaned and hit a tree,” Bruce said. “Everything changed. I knew Helena was seriously hurt.”
While Bruce and the girls escaped without injury, Helena was unconscious, unresponsive, and barely breathing.
Bruce stayed calm — checking her pulse, clearing her airway, and crying out to God.
“I just remember asking God, ‘Father, protect her. Be with her.’”
💔 The Diagnosis No Husband Wants to Hear
With weather too severe for a helicopter, paramedics transported Helena by ambulance to Vidant Medical Center in Greenville — more than 40 miles away.
By the time she arrived, she was in a coma and on a ventilator.
Doctors explained:
“She’s suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her brain is swelling. Her body has shut down to preserve itself.”
Bruce was told to prepare for the worst. But instead of giving up, he turned to prayer.
He posted a message on Facebook — and soon, friends, family, and believers across the country began interceding for Helena’s life.
“I didn’t know what the future looked like,” Bruce said. “But I knew prayer was all we had left.”
🙏 When Prayer Becomes the Lifeline
Over the next week, Helena remained sedated as her brain healed. Doctors attempted to remove her from the ventilator — and for a brief moment, she breathed on her own.
But within an hour, she began struggling to breathe again and had to be re-intubated.
“That was crushing,” Bruce said. “I thought we were on the fast track to recovery, but suddenly, we were right back where we started.”
A tracheotomy was scheduled for the next day — but Bruce and others focused their prayers on one thing:
“Let her breathe on her own, Lord.”
And just before the procedure, the medical team decided to try one last time to remove the ventilator.
“When it worked,” Bruce said, “it was just a huge praise report.”
💫 The Moment Everything Changed
Helena was later transferred to Riverside Select Specialty Hospital for rehab. Her outlook was grim — she couldn’t walk, talk, or respond.
Dr. Renee Moss described her condition:
“Her Glasgow Coma Scale was a 3 — totally impaired.”
Then came the first spark of hope.
Nurse Liz Altiere recalls:
“When I first cared for her, she couldn’t talk. Then two days later, I said, ‘Hey girl,’ and she whispered, ‘Hey.’ I was stunned.”
Soon after, Bruce visited and told her he loved her — and she whispered back:
“I love you too.”
“I just exploded!” Bruce said. “It was like heaven broke through.”
Within five days, Helena was walking with a walker, following commands, and carrying on conversations.
After only three weeks in rehab, she went home — fully alive.
🏃♀️ From Coma to Running Again
Nine months later, Helena did the unimaginable — she completed a 5K run while five months pregnant.
She later gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Josiah Lee.
Nurse Liz said,
“Most people have some sort of deficit after an injury like hers. Helena has none. She drives, exercises — she could run a marathon tomorrow.”
Bruce couldn’t agree more:
“Without prayer, without a miracle, she wouldn’t be here today.”
And Helena’s response? Pure gratitude.
“Whenever I meet someone who says, ‘We prayed for you,’ I tell them, ‘Thank you. Your prayers moved the heart of heaven on my behalf.’”
Have you witnessed God restore what seemed lost? Share your story and remind others that prayer still moves mountains — and even awakens the mind.
📖 Originally shared via The 700 Club (CBN). Reformatted here to strengthen faith within our community.