She was a young mother with a three month old in the back seat of her car, when another car ran a red light and t-boned her car. Sound like a night mare? Yes, but unfortunately it is exactly what happened in real life to Mary Varga over twenty years ago.

Thankfully, the baby did well, but Mary suffered Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). 

While lying unconsious in a hospital bed for a lengthy time, doctors didn’t know if she would make it. Eventually she did come to, but it wasn’t a happy time. She made sounds, but it became apparent that her speech was affected. And whould she ever be able to walk again? 

I met Mary about ten years later at a Christian Writers’ group. She wobbled in with a walker, laboring along with abnormal movements as she struggled to find a chair. When introducing herself, her speech was slurred and difficult to make out.

I have to confess that I thought trying to write would be a lost cause for her. But I didn’t know Mary Varga. You see, in spite of all that life had poured on her plate, Mary was “in process” and I sat amazed at her strength and courage.

I talk often about perseverance, but Mary became an ultimate example of perseverance. 

She wanted to write her story. She had been a pharmeceutical rep before the accident, but never a writer. During critique sessions, we had to correct gramatical mistakes and help her reform many sentences, but she kept trying.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Lo and behold, her short-story piece had been accepted for a magazine. We celebrated with her. Then she wanted to send it to another publication. We helped her adjust to the general format of the second place and Bingo again!

But when she talked about writing a whole book about her story, we shrugged our shoulders.

Meanwhile, we began to understand more of her spoken words. She exercised and worked rigorously with a therapist to improve her balance and walking skills. She went through a whole stirng of different walkers.

We found out she had formed a community celebration for other TBI patients who were succeeding. Each year they have a formal gathering called the Brain Ball. They named it after her and she is the emcee to present a yearly award to a worthy survivor.

Are you surprised to know that she did indeed have her book published? It chronicles her amazing story and shines with as much spiritual growth as it does personal growth. Each chapter has verses of Scripture that have guided her journey, like,

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

You will be doubly amazed at how God has opened up avenues of ministry for her where she can be giving in addition to receiving. 

If you want to see perseverance in real time, I hope you will check out Mary Varga’s story on Amazon, “The Light Through My Tunnel.” 

~ Joyce ~