March 15, 2006

Healed of a neuromuscular disease

By Jenn Canavan

I was a born with a neuromuscular disease (Charco-Marie-Tooth). Little is known about the disease except that it is hereditary and it destroys your nervous system and muscles. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Among siblings with CMT one may have no symptoms and the other can be in a wheelchair.

In 2004 my CMT required major reconstructive surgery on my left foot. I had gotten so bad that I couldn’t get out of bed without taking at least 20 minutes to get my foot to flatten so that I could walk. With the surgery I was thankful I could go to my children when they cried at night. That was good enough for me. But I sensed God telling me that He would heal me completely.

It didn’t happen right away. My condition worsened. I was in braces and facing surgery on my right foot. I had no strength left in my feet and my muscles deteriorated so badly that my feet were turning in. I struggled between faith and doubt.

Last April 1 I took some of our youth group to Zion Bible College where my husband, Rob, and I attended. That night at Zion, I was praying and really struggling with fear over God’s promise to heal me.

I’m not even sure who it was, but a fellow came over and said that he could feel a spirit of fear. He prayed for me and said God was telling me to let go of the fear and He was going to do what He had promised. I told God I was ready and asked Him to increase my faith.

Near the end of the prayer meeting, one of my youth came over and asked if he could pray for me. God used that prayer to bring about the promised healing. Less then five minutes after the young man prayed for me I could actually walk without my braces.

For the first time in my life I am walking without pain. I went to my surgeon in May. I wish I had a video of her face when she saw my foot. She walked in and was looking for the portable X-ray machine. I told her she didn’t need it and I didn’t need surgery. The doctor looked down at my foot and her jaw dropped. She got down on the floor and held my foot.

“Jenn, look at that foot! What did you do?” she asked.

I told her what happened at the prayer meeting and I now had no pain or weakness. My surgeon told me I have a perfect postoperative foot. When I first told her I didn’t need surgery she thought I had gone elsewhere and had the surgery. She couldn’t figure out how it was done with no incision marks. At the end of the visit the doctor said we didn’t need to see each other again.

I am so thankful I can walk and do things with my children I have always wanted to do. I ask you to join me in praying that God would heal my daughter, Elizabeth, who also has CMT and that this story will always be used for His glory.

Robert and Jenn Canavan minister to the youth at Faith Assembly of God in Webster, Mass. (Richard Amendola, pastor).