May 24, 2022: A day like any other?

Barbara in her car. (Photo supplied)

We all have our familiar rituals in our everyday lives. These predictable patterns give us a sense of security. But sometimes, these patterns are broken, and that sense of security is shattered by the unexpected. No, I’m not referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine at this time, but to what happened to my foster daughter Barbara on Tuesday, May 24, 2022.

The day began like any other day. Barbara and I had breakfast together. (We live in the same block of apartments.) Every Tuesday, Barbara  goes to a patients’ club in Tuttlingen, about 30 kilometers from where we live. The club provides activities for individuals suffering from neurological conditions such as heart attacks, strokes or brain injuries. The purpose of these meetings is to provide the patients with entertainment, while also helping them improve key skills. Barbara always looks forward to these meetings.

On the 24th, after the meeting, Barbara said her goodbyes and departed, expecting to be home at her usual time, around seven in the evening. I had supper ready and waiting. I was expecting her any minute but, as the minutes ticked by, my concern began to grow. I listened for her key in the door, but she didn’t come. Suddenly, the phone rang. When I answered, Barbara was at the other end of the line. I hardly recognized her voice; she sounded terribly strained.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“I’m in an ambulance on the way to hospital,” she said, half crying.

“But why?”

“Because my sugar level is either very high or very low!”

That’s strange, I thought. She’s never been diagnosed with diabetes. “Do you have your keys on you?” I asked.

I needed to know where her keys were in case she was admitted to hospital. “I don’t know where they went,” she said, her voice tight with anxiety. I tried to calm her down.

She didn’t know where her keys were or even where her car was or whether it was locked. This worried her, and she began to panic. Immediately a paramedic reassured her that it had all been taken care of. Her car was locked and her belongings were all safely stored away in her bag by her side. He explained they had searched her bag for ID and possible medical information. They had found her cell phone in her bag, as well as my phone number, which they’d dialed and then given her the phone to speak to me.

I didn’t want to prolong the conversation, as Barbara seemed too weak to talk. Later, I would be sorry that I hadn’t asked to speak to one of the paramedics about what had occurred.

After I hung up, I phoned the hospital for more details. Unbelievably, the hospital was unable to connect me with the emergency wing, as their telephone system was out of order! They told me to try again later. Around midnight—after phoning the hospital a number of times in vain—I phoned the police station. Had there been an accident perhaps? Thankfully, they were very friendly and ready to help. They checked; there was no trace of an accident in the whole area. I sighed with relief. Something had gone wrong, but it wasn’t serious enough to warrant police involvement—a good sign.

When the medics got to Barbara’s car and began talking to her, they quickly noticed something was seriously wrong.

Eventually, I pieced together what had happened. Barbara had been on her way home, only five kilometers to go, but had driven right by our exit. She drove along the highway to the town of Moenchweiler, and then on towards Koenigsfeld, where her car finally came to a stop at a roundabout. Here she was found slumped over the wheel of her car, with the engine still running.

When the medics got to her car and began talking to her, they quickly noticed something was seriously wrong. Barbara didn’t know where she was or how she got there. They helped her out of the car and into the ambulance. Suspecting that her blood sugar level might be low, they tested it and immediately gave her a glucose infusion. This slowly roused her to consciousness, which was when they had her call me.

This episode took Barbara by complete surprise. She had enjoyed her time with the patient group, began to head home, and then suffered a sudden drop in blood sugar. In other words, severe hypoglycemia with impaired consciousness. The doctors are still not sure why this happened, but while they work on this mystery, Barbara is barred from getting behind the wheel again for the next 30 days.

What made Barbara head toward Koenigsfeld continues to puzzle her. She remembers turning onto Highway B33—so far, so good—but after that, a complete blackout. She drove in a “fainting condition” for about 20 kilometers. Thank God that the car came to a stop when it did! As the ambulance driver later told Barbara, if she had driven any further in that state, the car could’ve easily rolled over.

This all seems like a bad dream, like a fairy-tale with a good ending. A perfectly normal day turned upside down without warning. Guardian angels must have been sent to watch over her. She caused no accident! She did not get hurt, nor did she hurt anyone else. She did not even damage her car. Incredibly lucky? No, miraculously protected. We are ever so thankful! Praise the Lord God with us!

Barbara: a brief biography

Was Barbara’s life a succession of unfortunate events? Born with a handicap, left at the hospital after birth, then transferred to orphanage. That was Barbara’s start in life.

At age four, Barbara came to the children’s home for desperately needed medical attention and more personal care. Barbara was placed in my family unit. (See photo above: Elisabeth Reimer handing Barbara over to me on the day of her arrival in the children’s home.)

With a pair of orthopaedically custom-made shoes, Barbara soon could walk. When I left the children’s home for a new job with Youth for Christ, Barbara (too young to be on her own) left with me, and I raised her as a single foster parent.

During this time, a two-week hospital stay after a surgery for Barbara turned into four months.

After school, Barbara trained as a housekeeper, and worked in this field for 35 years. Due to health reasons, she is now on disability pension, but continues to work part-time at a Christian retreat centre.

So, has Barbara’s life been a series of unfortunate events? Thank God, no! Rather, it has been an unusual life with unusual miracles.

– Mary Brandt