Some say Tanner's recovery is a miracle

JOHNSONVILLE - When Edward and Gertrude Tanner drove into town on March 27 folks already knew they were “coming home.”

The big sign at Tanner’s Nursery, which is next to their home on W. Broadway Street, had been updated and made to read, “Welcome home. Prayer still works!”

To say that Gertrude, the former Gertrude Joye, is a miracle is an understatement. Various predictions failed to materialize as friends and family continued to hang in there with her during her most recent illness, giving her the love and support she needed and deserved as well as keeping her in their prayers while she was hospitalized for more than three months. They believe the later had a profound impact on her recovery to date.

Gertrude had been plagued by strokes for some time, having suffered her forth stroke on July 10, 2008. On December 18, she suffered the most debilitating stroke when she fell and struck her head. After being rushed to McLeod Regional Medical Center in Florence she later suffered another stroke during the night. At 5 a.m. on the following morning, the nurse called Edward and asked, “How soon can you get to Florence? We have discovered that Ms. Tanner had another stroke during the night. The doctor said we have missed the first four hours that are crucial in which a particular medication can be administered. We originally had eight hours, but only two are left. MUSC in Charleston has been alerted, but the Florence facility can’t move her nor can Charleston administer the Medicine without your signature.”

The most damage from that stroke was to the back of her head.

On December 18, the doctor advised the family be called. He said the odds against her were too great, that she couldn’t possibly make it. The family refused to accept that, but found it was a “one-day-at-the-time” ordeal. She couldn’t walk and was put on a feeding tube. She had to be turned every two hours and the way the nurse left her was the way she laid until turning time again. When she had improved a little, she had to be lifted from the bed by a mechanical swing and moved to the wheel chair.

On her birthday, February 1, Edward decided since she was a little better, he would give her a simple birthday party in the hospital. He cleared it with the nursing supervisor, carried refreshments and other supplies to include her family, which is small. When he arrived, her sister, Audrey, called him aside and said she didn’t know if that was a good idea, she was having a bad time right then. They quickly turned it into an “appreciation party” for all the wonderful nurses with refreshments for the three shifts.

They went back and forth with the doctors telling them she couldn’t make it, to being adamant about a nursing home to sending her to rehab for more than 14 days. During that time, they began to notice an improvement. She came home on March 27. Now she has no feeding tube and is eating solid food; her medicine is no longer crushed; and she gets out of bed into the wheelchair on her own. She walks with the slightest of support.

She had been promised a party to end all birthday parties once she was home and able to go to church. On April 12, the church honored her with a dinner with family and friends to celebrate, not only for her birthday but for her homecoming as well.

Edward and Gertrude are members of Community Free Will Baptist Church located at 644 S. Pine Street and invite their friends to join them there as well as to visit Gertrude in the home.