The Journey
In an instance of what I thought was bronchitis turned into something much more serious. Things took a turn when I took my son to college. While he stood in a long registration line that stretched out the door, I sat in a chair in the hallway to rest and passed out. Later that day, I could barely walk or even push a grocery cart, and that is when we knew something was seriously wrong.
After testing and X-rays, I was diagnosed with scleroderma in 2016, a disease that causes the lungs to harden over time and makes it difficult to breathe. Over the years, my condition progressively worsened. I continued teaching dance and performing, even while my condition was declining, because ministry through movement has always been a core part of my calling. Eventually, I found myself directing The Passion Experience on 10 to 12 liters of oxygen, surrounded by tanks backstage. I had received prophecy after prophecy that God was going to heal me, but in my lowest moments, I found myself asking, “Where is the healing?”
Just before the finale, I made a decision that if I was going to leave this earth, I wanted to meet Jesus doing what I loved most, ministering through dance. I removed my oxygen, prayed, picked up my flag, and stepped onto the stage. By the grace of God, I danced the entire song, and when I came off stage, I was still alive. Over time, my condition continued to decline to the point where I could no longer breathe on my own, and a double lung transplant became my only option for survival. The doctors were realistic and very serious about my condition, and it was made clear that without a transplant, my chances of recovery were extremely limited. After three months in the hospital, I struggled with the decision to be placed on the transplant list because I did not want someone to have to die for me to live. During that time, I had a dream that I opened a white box with a gold ribbon and saw a set of clean, beautiful lungs inside. I knew in that moment that God was showing me that He had already made provision for me. I surrendered, was placed on the transplant list, and shortly after, I received a double lung transplant in 2023. What followed was an even greater battle. During my recovery, I died and God allowed me to come back. I spent another three months in the hospital, unable to walk, unable to speak, and unsure if I would ever dance or preach again. It was in that place that God later revealed to me what I now call “Glory Faith,” the kind of faith required to endure what is bigger than you, when only God’s power can sustain you.
Today, I can walk, I can speak, and I can dance again. I returned to the stage for The Passion Experience 2025, themed “God Still Does Miracles,” because I am living proof. My life is a testimony that even when healing does not come the way you expect, God still has the final say. God restored my life, and now I share that message of hope, faith, and second wind with the world.