On May 25, 2007 my then 50 year old father suffered a horrific work related accident. He had over 600 lbs. of compressed boxes fall on top of him from 12 feet high. The second person called to the scene of the accident (besides 911) was my younger brother, Rami. Since I am the oldest in the family I was to be at the hospital at my father’s arrival to the E.R. via Ambulance. I did not know at this time, the magnitude of the accident or the rough road ahead for my family and I.

I remember going into the E.R. room of the over crowded county hospital. I was upset that my father was taken to a county hospital knowing that he had great insurance benefits.

As I walked in to the room I ran into several beds in a tiny room, all with a patient tucked inside. I heard my father whaling in pain. This was the first time in my 26 years that I’d heard such a strong and active man complain of health.

After being admitted to the I.C.U we found out he had fractured his pelvic bone, thoracic fracture, broken foot, broken hip, fractured back and 15 broken ribs. Thinking this was the worse of the situation we quietly wept in the waiting room.

Before visiting hours were over we were informed that both of my fathers lungs have collapsed because of the pressure of the internal bleeding. He was in so much pain he suffered a heart attack due to the trauma of this. To make matters worse the doctors could not do anything about the heart attack, his internal bleeding would intensify thus causing him death. The best thing was wait it out.

Before leaving that night the cardiologist approached me and told me that my father most likely would not make it through the night. She said that watching a person have an M.I. was just as bad as giving them a blood thinner. She asked us what our religion was and suggested we called a priest and all of the family together. Being the eldest of 3 I knew I could not break my grandparents hearts, my mother, my brothers, my aunts and uncles. So I lied.

Luckily for me I had just finished reading the Secret.

I remember telling the cardiologist “I know this is your job but I know my father will not die, he’s going to live…” she gave me a sappy, silly ‘I didn’t go through all of these years of medical school to leave it all to a young girl’s faith in her father’s survival’ kind of look.

24 hours had passed and the new day had awakened. I gave thanks for having one more day with him. Amidst all of the suffering and tears, all I had was thankfulness for one more day.

48 hours later– another day to thank. He was still labeled critical. Cardiology did not clear him for surgery and his immobility had given him a pulmonary embolism. Every day that passed was a blessing.

One day, on a Friday and still in ICU my father had been cleared for hip surgery. It was scheduled for Monday. That Friday evening my father died. He went into VT and was followed by cardiac arrest. As the doctors tried to revive him I felt deep in my heart, I knew he’d live. He was too young and healthy to die. His first born grandchild had not began to know the wonderful man that I knew. After 30 minutes of resuscitation he came back.

He was in ICU for almost 4 months. He lived. Everyone called him Miracle Alex. Everything bad that could’ve happened, happened.

Months later his left hip got infected and he almost lost his leg. His wonderful doctor of almost 20 years saved his life, then he (the doctor) died later that night.

My dad is now in a wheelchair and is back to getting his life on track. He wants to go back to college and do everything he never did. I owe all of that which has happened to my reading and living The Secret.

I’ve been using The Secret since before and everything always gets better.

Our family used it to buy our first home, which was already under contract.

My new goal is medicine. I want to get into the field of infectious disease and although school is going to cost me almost $50,000 a year, I will achieve anything I set my mind to.

I just printed out the “blank check” and I know gratitude, appreciation and the love that surrounds me will get my through medical school.

Nothing is ever ok, it always gets better…