By Bryan Davis
Shortly before 15-year-old Cranfills Gap freshman Dacey Patrick gave her testimony to the congregation of First Presbyterian Church in Clifton on Sept. 11, Rev. Clint Schofield recited the familiar passage from Luke 18, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” What followed was a young girl’s powerful story of faith through a medical journey that eventually led her to a beautiful, healthy and happy place.
Rev. Schofield said when he was a chaplain at Scott and White Hospital in Temple; he would often read the Luke 18 passage before working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with critically ill children. “It was a reminder, “said Schofield, “that we’re all God’s children, no matter what age we are and that prayers are answered.”
Dacey was introduced by family friend Deb Phinney, an elder at First Presbyterian Church who became friends with the family while working with Dacey’s mother at the Bosque Arts Center. “This little girl may be small in stature,” Phinney told the audience, “but believe me she is a dynamo.”
Dacey’s medical journey began with her premature birth at 28- weeks (six months) weighing only two pounds. Clinically Dacey was born with Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome, a chest wall deformity that interferes with lung function and development and generally worsens with age as the child grows. Dacey was also born with congenital scoliosis, which was so severe her spine was at a 37-degree angle. Dacey’s heart was also on the opposite side of her chest cavity and she was missing several ribs.
After her early arrival, parents Delbert and Kim Patrick were told by doctors, “Enjoy her while you can, there’s really nothing we can do.” But little did they know Dacey’s strong desire not only to live, but to enjoy a full and productive life which has astounded even family and close friends. Today she can chronicle her medical challenges in the words of an adult way beyond her years. “I’m not going to tell my full medical story,” the four-foot tall Dacey said after climbing atop a stool behind the chancel pulpit, “because I think the end of it is a little more interesting.” Dacey gave her entire testimony completely unscripted and from the heart.
Dacey had her first of 25 surgeries at 14-months. All her surgeries have been performed at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. Five of her surgeries have been performed on her knees, and the remaining 20 on her spine. Surgeries were being done every six months with the growth cycle, but at age seven a magnetic rod was inserted which allowed Dacey’s spine to be adjusted continuously without surgery.
Despite having spent so much time in hospitals, Dacey said growing up she “never felt limited.” And she credits much of that to the love and support of her parents and family, which includes older sisters Kassidy, 20, and Halie, 17.
Dacey skipped through most of her medical details to concentrate on her final surgery, performed in June, which could actually be her last. She was being prepared for this painful major surgery that would involve removal of rods and a spinal fusion requiring many months of healing. Before her anesthesia a nurse asked her if she was a Christian. Dacey said that she was and the nurse suggested Dacey request religious music be played during surgery. “I call it ‘Jesus music,’” Dacey laughed. As the anesthesia kicked in, Dacey said she was listening to “Battle Belongs,” and she wasn’t afraid. “I’m just going to be with Jesus,” she reasoned.
“Drifting off I see Jesus right there in front of me,” she recalled. “My doctor is holding my hand and I’m not worried about anything. And when I wake up there’s no pain, there was no fusion, and I’m a new person.” Kim Patrick called her daughter’s surgery quite simply, “a miracle.” Two weeks after surgery her doctors released her without restrictions. Dacey said she went from 14 years of being able to do nothing, to being told she could do anything. “Well, I can’t skydive,” she chuckled. “I ran out of that hospital dancing.”
Dacey has now returned to being a typical high school student at Cranfills Gap where she maintains good grades, serves as a Lion cheerleader, and serves as chaplain for the FFA among other activities. Dacey says when she was young she sometimes questioned why she had to go through the medical struggles she faced that left her on the sidelines.
“I’d see other kids roller skating and playing while I had to just sit and watch,” Dacey recalled. “But now I see. Jesus says, ‘You’re 15 now and you’re going to go and tell everyone what God did for you.’” Now Dacey asks other young people, “Ya’ll want to talk about Jesus today, because God is good, guys.”
Dacey said she is now planning to bring her faith full-circle and be baptized. “Because now I’m a Jesus girl,” she reasoned. “I just love him so much.” Long-term plans include college and studying public relations and perhaps one day working in a Children’s Hospital much like the one in San Antonio that has played such an important role in her life.
Following her testimonial, Rev. Schofield called Dacey’s story, “An incredible witness to the Lord.” And listeners, some seen wiping away tears, were reminded of the scripture shared prior to Dacey’s message. That often it’s the children who teach adults the most profound lessons if we just listen to Luke’s instruction to be simple, humble, and trusting to enter God’s kingdom. It’s a message that Dacey Patrick not only lives by, but hopes to spread to others who are willing to listen.
