Miracle of Mercy: A True Story of Courage in the Face of Adversity

By Mercy Azoh-Mbi and Paul T. Ayah

Mercy arrived in Canada in 2009, full of life and excitement following her husband’s appointment as high commissioner (ambassador) of the Republic of Cameroon. As she settled in her new environment, she could not have suspected that just seven months later, her life would take a dramatic turn.

She awoke one morning complaining of fatigue, fever, a headache, and blurred vision, and was rushed to hospital with what she thought was a routine ailment. But a medical misdiagnosis would turn her life upside down. When she was placed in a wheelchair upon arriving the ER, little did she know that she had just taken her last steps on her own two feet. She soon slipped into a coma and wavered between life and death for weeks, then eventually made a miraculous recovery after undergoing high-risk open-heart surgery. But this recovery was to simply prepare her for the horror of yet another grim and dreary reality, the amputation of her two arms and two legs. Through fears and further mishaps, and with two prosthetic arms, two prosthetic legs, and two prosthetic heart valves, Mercy emerges and soon finds her stride.

She surprises us with grace, strength and ingenuity as an entrepreneur, a diplomat’s confidante, a woman of faith. Despite her ordeal, Mercy shuns bitterness and resentment, choosing to embrace life, love, compassion, and forgiveness as she seeks to shine a light on those in the trenches and throes of despair.

Miracle of Mercy is an uplifting true story of courage in the face of adversity. It will make you shed a tear, and then cheer as Mercy charts a new inspirational course for her life guided by faith, fortitude, and the support of her family and community.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jun 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9781664280397

Mercy Azoh-Mbi

Mercy Azoh-Mbi was born in Cameroon where she earned a master’s degree in geology before moving with her family to Ottawa. She was getting ready to pursue an MBA when disaster struck. After recovering from a health crisis, she and her husband, Solomon, founded the Mercy Azoh-Mbi Heart Foundation, a Canadian charity focused on raising awareness of heart disease. For more about the foundation, visit www.maheartfoundation.org.

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Copyright © 2023 Mercy Azoh-Mbi with Paul T. Ayah.

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except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the

views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

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and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8037-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8038-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-6642-8039-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022918654

WestBow Press rev. date: 6/2/2023

This book is dedicated to my children, Paula and Jay, who went through

their early childhood old enough to know that something serious had

happened to their mom, but not old enough to understand why.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Part 1: Life-Changing Moments

Chapter 1: A Diagnosis Gone Wrong

Chapter 2: Engulfed in the Flames of Endocarditis

Chapter 3: Burned but Not Consumed

Chapter 4: The Making of a Prosthetic Woman

Chapter 5: The Flash of Hope and the Flash Flood

Part 2: Life-Changing Relationships

Chapter 6: Succor and Solace in the Storm

Chapter 7: A Watchman at the Gate

Chapter 8: Limbless Mother, Limitless Love

Part 3: Life-Changing Lessons

Chapter 9: A New Me and the New Normal

Chapter 10: Pearls from My Pit

Chapter 11: The Finishing Grace

Acknowledgments

This story is about one of God’s many attendant mercies. It is also a story that interlocks with the stories of numerous individuals and institutions that have been instrumental in providing healing and hope for me and my family.

Since it is not possible to name every one of them here, I would limit myself to mentioning just a few people for the pivotal role they played both in the events and in the recording of same in this book.

I am grateful to Cameroonian and Canadian authorities for their concern and care during the ordeal recounted in this book. His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic of Cameroon, ordered the full coverage by the State of Cameroon of all my medical expenses after my insurance ran out. This greatly eased our pain and ensured that I received the best medical care both in Canada and the United States of America. To our head of state and our first lady, Mrs. Chantal Biya, my husband and I owe a debt of eternal gratitude and loyalty.

Many Canadian authorities and individuals sent letters of compassion and encouragement, flowers, get-well wishes, and even warm coverings to provide comfort in the cold Canadian climate. I extend my hearty thanks and gratitude for their kindness and generosity.

Professor Ebanda Boulou de B’beri and Mrs. Yvonne Duala-Ekoko respectively introduced us to two critical cardiovascular surgeons who saved my life. They were God’s finger pointing us to the right doors on which to knock in our time of distress and need. I sincerely thank them for their generosity of spirit.

I will remain eternally grateful to Professor Thierry Mesana, CEO of the Ottawa Heart Institute, and his staff for saving my life in extremis. He even went the extra mile by training some of his nurses, including Marlene and Anna, in specialist wound care to tend to my multiple limb amputations.

Similarly, special gratitude and thanks go to Dr. Nche Zama who, as head of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at the Poconos Medical Center in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, USA, undertook the eerie final major open-heart surgery on me, changing both my aortic and mitral valves in 2011. He and his formidable staff, as well as our dear friend Ms. Alisa Tongg, contributed immensely and uniquely to my story of survival.

Dr. Jay Mbeng Nfonoyim’s steadfast love, concern, and care have been overwhelming from my initial diagnosis with a heart problem, leading to my first open-heart surgery in 2004 in New York. To him and his lovely wife, Sue, I offer my hearty thanks.

I am equally thankful to members of the Ottawa diplomatic community and our many Canadian friends, including Peter and Mary Hagen; Donna Crabtree; Jerry and Carol Sherman; David and Sue Imbrock; Robert Montgomery; and Harold and Darlene Mclean; who in various ways encouraged my husband and me to remain strong and hopeful amid all doubts and discouragement. To members of our church family at the Gloucester Presbyterian Church; our pastor, Reverend Denise Allen-Macartney, and husband, Allen; Terry and Joan Born-Flett; Olive O’May; Tom and Becky Asa’na; Joe and Rose Ayafor; Vic and Lyn Dowie; Reverend Father Louis Fohssie; the Cameroonian diaspora in Canada; and the staff of the Cameroon High Commission in Canada; I express sincere thanks and gratitude for the support and solidarity shown us during our time of difficulty.

Numerous friends and family members traveled far and near to visit and console us. May they find here our unreserved thanks and sincere appreciation. It’s hard not to mention my sister Frida Agbor, who made countless trips from New Jersey in and out of season just to attend to us. To her and to my sister-in-law Lucy Ambe in Silver Spring, Maryland, I am deeply thankful. I am equally thankful to members of our household at the Cameroon residence (Vincent Azindi, Peter Canuh, Quinta Annoh and Bi Ndenecho) who hemmed in around us in the face of an imminent crash that could have been. I thank our two young children, Paula and Jay, for enduring the trauma of this family tragedy and providing us with a reason to remain hopeful. May they find healing and hope that endures throughout their own lives.

If there’s one person who has relived the story in all its details and reached out to most of the key players, it is Mr. Paul T. Ayah, without whose sharp wit and sense of synthesis this book would not have been possible. It’s been a blessing knowing and working with Paul on this and other ventures.

Finally, to God, our Maker and Master, I offer all the honor, glory, and thanksgiving for the wondrous ways He leads and lights our path through all human distress and darkness.

Introduction

My name is Mercy Azoh-Mbi. My husband, Solomon Azoh-Mbi, was appointed high commissioner (i.e., ambassador) of the Republic of Cameroon to Canada in 2008. I arrived in Canada in early 2009 full of life and excitement, looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. But barely seven months later, my life would take a dramatic turn.

My arrival in Canada coincided with the outbreak of the H1N1 flu pandemic that was commonly referred to as the swine flu. The entire world was gripped by the crisis that began in Mexico and quickly spread worldwide in 2009. The symptoms of H1N1 flu are similar to those of other influenzas and may include fever, coughs, headaches, muscle or joint pain, sore throat, chills, fatigue, and a runny nose. How is the swine flu related to my story? Well, read on.

Since I was either in a coma or disoriented for several months during my hospitalization, parts of the story I am recounting here were only possible thanks to medical records as well as the recollections of medical personnel, family members, and especially my husband, who kept a detailed diary during the entire ordeal.

As a conservative African woman, I have never been comfortable calling my husband by his first name. I call him Daddy in the presence of our children, Nde Solo in the presence of other family members, Solo as a tease, or Nu as a special term of endearment. I only use his first name, Solomon, when I need his attention during official events. So, to spare you any confusion as you read this story, I will simply refer to him as my husband, unless the circumstance dictates otherwise.

This is my story…

PART 1

Life-Changing Moments

01

A Diagnosis

Gone Wrong

The most crucial step toward healing is having the

right diagnosis … A bad diagnosis usually means a bad

outcome, no matter how skilled the physician.

—Andrew Weil

F riday, October 23, 2009, was a typical autumn day in Ottawa. The hot, humid summer had given way to cooler days, and the trees had virtually transformed into a color palette. The fresh green leaves of summer had changed into the hues of the rainbow as the trees shed their exotic leaves in preparation for the rigors of winter. Everyone was telling me fondly about the snow and cold, which are the hallmarks of Canadian winters; I was awaiting my first winter in Ottawa with excitement, tinged with the occasional trepidation that comes with looking forward to the unknown.

We had finally found a permanent home after transitioning through two different accommodations during our first seven months in Ottawa. We spent a lot of time decorating and furnishing the home to make it ready to cater to the wide range of guests we expected to receive. Life was full of excitement and anticipation of what lay ahead.

I felt comfortable enough in my new surroundings to start making inquiries about MBA programs at various universities. With my husband on diplomatic assignment, we felt that pursuing a PhD in geology, my initial goal, would be precarious given the uncertainty surrounding the duration of our Canadian sojourn. The MBA, on the other hand, could be completed in two short years, and we felt it would come in handy given my penchant for business. After discussing and praying over it, my husband and I concluded that an MBA would open many opportunities for me to become the family’s main breadwinner after he retires. So I attended an information session and started preparing to take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) as a prelude to seeking admission into the MBA program at the University of Ottawa.

Outwardly, I appeared to be the very picture of health. I was radiant and ready to embrace my new role with energy and enthusiasm. In September I had just returned from New York, where I had a comprehensive medical checkup and got a clean bill of health.

The day started like any other weekday in my household. I woke up at 5:00 a.m. and chatted in bed with my husband for a few minutes as we reviewed the day’s activities. Then we made our bed together. Old habits die hard; we never let anyone else make our bed. This was a habit we had developed in Cameroon, and we found it a great source of bonding. We then took our showers and went downstairs for our favorite breakfast of coffee, sliced fruits, blended vegetables, omelets, and fried plantains. When I mentioned at breakfast that I was feeling tired, my husband reminded me that I had been remarkably busy of late and suggested that I return to bed after breakfast to get more rest.

In fact, it was of little surprise that I felt tired. Our first seven months in Canada had been hectic. Shortly after arriving, we crisscrossed the country from west to east. It felt like a honeymoon for us since we still had not had one. Then in September, following a two-week stay in New York City for my medical checkup, my husband and I were summoned back to The Big Apple for a further two weeks to assist in receiving Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, who was attending the ordinary session of the United Nations General Assembly. Upon our return from New York, we