The head doctor recommended that Nivo start radiotherapy treatment immediately. Even with that, he only gave her a few months to live. But Nivo told the doctor that she believed her life was in God's hands--that He had allowed this to happen to her and that He could heal her if He wanted to. And if she only had a short time to live, she wanted to spend it at home with her 10 children, she said.

Soon Nivo was in so much pain that she was unable to walk and had to be helped anywhere she went. In addition, the biopsy had left a large wound on her spine that soon got infected. Nivo's condition was getting worse.

We prayed about her situation again and suggested she reevaluate her decision regarding radiotherapy. We also assured her we would do our best to help her, whatever her decision. She again chose to leave her life in God's hands, but reminded Him that her children were still small and needed her, so she needed to be healed. We continued to pray desperately for her healing.

She believed her life was in God's hands--that He had allowed this to happen to her and that He could heal her if He wanted to.

One day not long after this prayer, Nivo needed to get out of bed to go to the bathroom, and nobody was there to help her. So she prayed for strength and went ahead and got up by herself. She was so happy that she was able to get up and walk on her own that she went to her front door. One of her neighbors saw her and spread the word. Soon all the villagers surrounded her humble abode, shouting, "Thank You, Jesus! It's a miracle!" It was quite a sight!

Little by little, Nivo regained strength and got back on her feet. She started to get around with two walking sticks, then with one, and eventually without any. The wound on her back also healed completely.

We met her doctor a few weeks later, and he was surprised to hear that she was still alive. "Is she paralyzed then?" he asked. When we told him she was up and about and caring for her children, he was speechless.

Today, two years after the pain started, Nivo takes care of her children, tends her garden, washes her large family's laundry, and gets around like anybody else in the village. Sometimes we have to chide her when we see her carrying heavy loads on her head, to which she replies with a laugh, "Ça va bien! Merci Jésus!" ("I'm fine! Thank You Jesus!")

And that's not all! Nivo recently gave birth to a beautiful baby girl--her 11th child. The delivery was difficult because the baby was in the breach position, but otherwise it went well, despite Nivo missing some vertebrae in her lower back. When the Lord does miracles, He does them well!

Françoise Corticelli is a full-time volunteer with The Family International in Madagascar.