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When I came back to the apartment from the hospital there was a sign saying

“You’re having a heart attack!”

Kali, my daughter had written a letter to the stake president asking if she could ask all the wards in the stake to write hearts of encouragement for me. The walls were full of hearts with words of enlightenment and love. There were some from people I did not even know. It was like they were all in the room giving me a group hug!!! I needed that for what lay ahead.

Being back from the hospital I was positive that the worst was over. A few days later my fever spiked again and I was put back in the hospital. They could not find the source of the problem. They got the fever down and I went home again. Three days later I was back in the hospital again. I went through this at least four times. On morning rounds six doctors would come into the room and tell me the same thing.

“Mrs. Marchant, we cannot find what is wrong.”

One day I yelled back at them.

“What do you mean, you can’t find what is wrong. You’re the doctors!”

Discouragement set in and a black cloud hung over me. I recognized that I could not get rid of the discouragement without a priesthood blessing. I called Seattle 7th ward and asked them to send over two men who held the priesthood to give me a priesthood blessing. I knew it would lift my spirits and give me the hope I needed. Through that sacred blessing I was told that the doctors would find the reason for my fevers. Early the next morning the doctors filed in as usual. This time their faces were not laced with heavy concerns, but were all smiles. A viral fungus had been found in my blood and they would prescribe medication that would eradicate it from my body. It worked like a charm. With no more fevers I was soon allowed to leave the hospital. I will be eternally grateful for the power of priesthood blessings!

December 21st 1999 I woke up and looked in the mirror. My eyelashes had fallen out, my eyebrows were gone, and my fingernails looked like they were going to fall off! I called my doctor in a panic.

“You didn’t say my fingernails and eyelashes and eyebrows were going to fall off!"

He quietly apologized, trying to calm me down. I left the office still very distraught! The whole day my spirits slowly descended lower and lower. I was despondent. A dark cloud shrouded my thoughts over and over.

I went to bed that night in tears. I laid awake not able to sleep. I said to God,

"You said you wouldn’t give me more than I could handle!!!”

A few minutes later I felt an incredible sense of peace. I felt the presence of my mother who had passed away when I was six years old. I felt my father’s presence as well. I did not see them but I felt each of them take one of my hands and gently hold them. This experience went on for about half an hour. At that time I felt their presence leave my bedroom. I promptly fell into a deep, peaceful sleep