Photo by Billy Todd
The ‘Miracle Woman,’ Cassandra Ingram-Raynor, displays a huge smile in celebration of God’s gift and blessing of a second chance at life.
Photo by Billy Todd
Family support and prayer has played a major part in Cassandra Ingram-Raynor’s recovery from death. Pictured are her most ardent supporter,s from left, Pam Bryant, Willa Roseboro, Ingram-Raynor and Evelyn McCalop.
Much like a story line in a television soap opera, one Roseboro residence has died and lived to tell about it.
Cassandra Ingram-Raynor entered Sampson Regional Medical Center Sunday, May 22, 2011 suffering from congestive heart failure, diabetes and COPD along with various other health issues. She remained in the local hospital for three days. Not seeing improvement, her doctors sent her to WakeMed in Raleigh, where, after getting worse, she died.
“I don’t remember a thing after them bringing me into the emergency room at Sampson,” explained a very much alive Ingram-Raynor during an interview this week. “It was three days before I even woke up. It is only because God wanted me to be here that I am still here.”
The “Miracle Woman,” as she is called by many, shared that she was feeling worse and very lethargic and out of it while the Raleigh hospital. “My niece Pam (Bryant) was with me, and she asked me if I was all right. I wasn’t!” asserted Ingram-Raynor.
Bryant alerted a nurse that was in the room that her aunt had passed out and immediately a Code 99 was issued and the niece was asked to leave the room. “I work in the medical field and I knew what the code meant. I knew I was going to have to go into the waiting room with my aunts and I decided not to let on how serious Cass was,” stated the niece.
Willa Roseboro, Ingram-Raynor’s aunt, had heard the Code 99 and already knew what it meant. “I met Pam in the hal,l and we knew things did not look good. We later were told that Cass was flat-lined for 30 minutes and her organs had begun to shut down. It was really a scary time for all of us,” shared the Roseboro, who, though really an aunt, is thought more of as a sister. “Cassandra is really my niece but my parents actually raised her so she is more of a sister than niece,” explained Roseboro.
The fact that Ingram-Raynor was actually dead for 30 minutes and is able to tell about it is truly a miracle. Roseboro and her sister Evelyn McCalop pointed out that the doctors came out to them and explained that their niece most likely would never walk again and would possibly suffer significant brain damage as a result of the death experience.
“The doctors told us that because she went without blood flow and oxygen for the 30 minutes, she was flat-lined, she would possibly be left paralyzed and might not even be able to communicate any longer,” said McCalop. The aunts explained that fortunately a new procedure called therapeutic hypothermia was used. It is a relatively new procedure where the body core temperature is lowered to a targeted temperature. According to a medical website, the procedure helps to protect the brain and the heart from suffering injury during cardiac arrest and can be used for other medical conditions.
“But after what the doctors had told us, we were expecting the worst when, and if, Cass came back to us,” stated Roseboro.
The miracle woman finally began to return to them, and everyone was amazed to see that she was steadily progressing. “She was a little slow to get better, but each day we saw improvements. Even the doctors were amazed that Cass was showing very little affects from the death experience. We knew our prayers had been answered and that God was not through with her yet,” asserted McCalop.
“It is scary to think about, and I am truly sorry that my family had to go through such a terrible ordeal,” she asserted. “I am amazed and surprised by the things they tell me happened to me. I don’t remember dying. All I know about is what they have told me. People ask me if I saw a bright light or remember a beautiful place? But I don’t remember anything about the situation. I do know that God was working on me and through me.”
Today, just a little over two months after the death experience, Ingram-Raynor is doing well. She has no difficulty in talking, omething her sisters laugh about — how much she talks. She is able to walk without assistance and is even breathing better. “I am doing great. I get tired easily but that, to,o is getting better. I was able to walk out to the mailbox the other day. I am getting strong and better each day,” remarked Ingram-Raynor.
“She almost scared me to death about a week ago,” explained McCalop. “I was taking her to a doctor’s appointment and her daughter had dropped her off at my house. I saw my niece’s car leave the driveway but Cass had not come in. I just knew she had passed out or had fallen in the back yard. I rushed outside to find her just standing on the deck just looking around. Cass was taking in everything. She told me, ‘I can breathe. Isn’t it just beautiful and I can breathe.’ I just cried at the beauty of that moment,” said McCalop smiling.
Ingram-Raynor said she believes the experience was God’s way of getting her attention. “I was and am a believer. But I had become less active in my Christian walk. Now I have a renewed mission from God. He wants me to use my experience to help people. People that may be suffering in some way, such as illness or some other personal problems … to let people know that God is alive and real and performing miracles every day. We just have to open our eyes and see them. God has the last say so and we have to do what He wants us to do,” said the miracle lady.
This family has a strong belief and faith in God and they readily admit that it is through His will and His miracles that their family member is still with them. “God is still working miracles each and every day,” stated Roseboro. “We just have to make ourselves available to Him so we can receive them and recognize what God has done for us.”
McCalop said, “Man might do the possible, but God can do the impossible.”
Ingram-Raynor expressed that her family was special. “This is a great family. We are not perfect. What happens or what does not happen, we are all blessed to have each other and to love each other. We help each other out when things are tough and we laugh together when things are good. We don’t need to be rich with money and things because God has made us rich with a loving, caring family.”
Ingram-Raynor is truly a miracle woman. Not only has she come through this last experience, in 2009 she was diagnosed with lung cancer. Now the 48-year-old woman is cancer free following treatment and is ready to spend what time God will give her, spreading His good news and how God has blessed her and her family.
To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail siobits@heartlandpublications.com
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