Fighting Back from Death's Door

CBN.com “I was helpless. When you don’t have your health with you, you’re powerless. You’re not in control of anything anymore. It was a real war.”

Jackie Ngomesia immigrated to the US from Africa to pursue the American dream. But with all her success she never expected her life would end in a matter of hours from a virulent flesh-eating bacteria. “Seven out of ten people who contract this bacteria die within twenty-four hours.”

Her health problems stemmed from weight issues that ran in her family. “My whole life I’ve been overweight and it moved into morbid obesity. By the time I turned thirty-six I was already weighing two hundred and sixty-seven pounds, and I was just five feet. I did every diet program out there, and it didn’t work for me.”

Jackie studied nursing in America, and after graduating, her dreams became a reality. “I started making a lot of money. Big cars, big home, designer clothes – that was all I wanted. I felt happy. I was in control of my life.”

She married Henry, a Christian man, and began going to church with him. But her weight was interfering with her health and her career. “I couldn’t climb stairs. I couldn’t walk. I had sleep apnea. I couldn’t breathe. And I knew if I didn’t do something drastic, I wasn’t going to live for too long.”

Jackie’s doctor referred her to a world renowned gastric bypass surgeon in Brazil. There the procedure would cost half the price of what it was in the States. But Henry wasn’t sure this was the best solution. “Henry was absolutely concerned and even against the fact that I should do the surgery.”

Henry explains, “I said, ‘That’s your choice.’ And that was it. But that didn’t mean I shouldn’t support her.”

She flew to Brazil and underwent the surgery. Shortly after, her body rejected the changes. “I started having side effects of that surgery; severe nausea and vomiting. The next year I was in and out of the emergency room about nine times. My health was deteriorating.”

…as was her American dream. “I couldn’t work for some time. The car got repossessed.  We lost the home I had bought and we had to look for a smaller place.”

Jackie dropped to an astonishing eighty-seven pounds and was once again hospitalized. “I became critically sick from dehydration (and) mal-absorption.  The doctors decided that they were going to do a revision of that surgery in order to get me back to health.” 

But before she could have the surgery a new complication arose. Jackie was transferred to an emergency medical center. “When I woke up in the hospital, I didn’t even realize where I was. I saw Henry by my side. The doctors had told Henry, ‘We’re not sure if your wife will make it. She has contracted this flesh-eating bacteria known as necrotizing fasciitis.’”

The bacteria had already eaten thirty-six percent of Jackie’s flesh, and her organs were on the verge of failing. Henry immediately called their friends and the 700 Club to pray for Jackie.

Jackie says, “Henry has always been a man of faith.”

Henry knew what to do. “There was no place we didn’t touch because it was about storming heaven.”

As the prayers poured in Jackie quickly realized she was dealing with more than a physical battle. “I laid in bed, on the screen right above me; I went into this realm that I started seeing things as if they were real. I did see a lot of people that I recognized from back in Africa, and they came with a witch doctor. The witchdoctor was dressed all in black.”

They threatened to kill Jackie with a device they had with them. “They would pump the machine and when they pumped the machine I could feel the pain in different portions of my body. It went on and on and on. (I thought) ‘Is this for real?’ It was very tormenting.”  

For three days the demonic visitors tormented Jackie and the pain and agony continued. “I did have kidney failure. If you looked at the wounds that I had from my groin down to my thighs, you wouldn’t even believe that I was going to survive. Either I was going to get amputated; they’re going to cut my legs or something.” 

“I heard a small still voice that told me to proclaim the blood of Jesus. I didn’t know what the blood of Jesus meant. And I thought to myself, ‘You either say it and see if it works, or you just lay here and die.’” 

“the voodoo people didn’t give up. They were fighting me. I kept on saying, ‘The blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus.’ One after the other they abandoned the equipment and they left.”

The pain and bacteria also left Jackie’s body – amazing the medical staff. “And I said, ‘Wow, that thing worked. There must be power in the blood of Jesus.’ That was a powerful revelation.”

Jackie began the road to recovery. “While I was recovering for two years physically, I was drastically growing spiritually. I developed that hunger for the things of God and the things of the supernatural. And things just got better as I pursued Him.”

“And I said, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, come into my heart. I make You my Lord and Savior.  Forgive me of my sins. From this day forward I live for You.”

Jackie has fully recovered. She and Henry use her miracle story to share God’s love with others. “Out there, there are people that need to know the saving grace of God, the healing power of God. This is all a miracle, and only God can do this. Only God does the impossible.”

“(Do) you truly want to know that God heals? Try Him for yourself, and see Him show up and do great things for you.”