Friday, March 27, 2015

Halo Found Hope: a memoir by Helo Matzelle - REVIEWED


About the Book:
Machines beeping, the blur of medical staff running, a crash cart whizzing into an ICU room---was there any hope? 

A young woman lay, packed in ice, as doctors attempted to somehow stop the swelling in her brain that threatened to take her life... and her family waited. 

Six days turned into eight weeks. She awoke to discover that she was not the same. She saw two of everything, couldn't feel half of her face, couldn't hear from one ear, and could not speak. She couldn't even tell anyone that she felt hopeless... or could she? 

Halo Found Hope is the story of a beautiful, busy wife, and mother of three whose life changes instantly with the diagnosis of a rare brain tumor. An exceptional ENT, a brilliant neurosurgeon and a dedicated medical team tackle the tumor, setting off a series of unbelievable miracles. Helo's story is not one of survival, or of salvaging a life through a broken body. It is not about endurance through pain, but victory because of it. While the family heard her silence, God heard her prayer. Helo's story is simply this: Wherever you are and whatever you are going through, God is right there. He doesn't need to be recognized by you, to be there for you. He can replace fear with courage and discouragement with determination, if you let Him. Helo did, and that is how she found hope. 

My Thoughts:

Resilience followed by encouragement inspires us to press on when challenges surround us.”  (p.82)

Resilient is most certainly the word I would choose to describe Helo Matzelle.  The strength, the perseverance and faith it took for her to overcome the devastation of a very invasive brain surgery  was inspiring to read!  It really struck home with me, because I am very close to her age, and her story makes me very aware of how thankful I should be every single day I enjoy good health.  Even after years of hard work, Helo still faces daily challenges.  She speaks honestly about those challenges.  Doubt, fear, exhaustion  and a host of other challenges face Helo every single day, and she has learned to turn completely and quickly to God alone for everything she needs.  She has learned to cherish each day and to be genuinely thankful for her many blessings.

I love the way God has given her so many, many opportunities to share her story everywhere she goes.  I love how tenderly and specifically God answered her deepest heart cry by using complete strangers to give her just the words she needed to hear at that specific moment.  Her entire story is truly incredible, and I am very thankful to have the opportunity to recommend it to everyone!  This has intersected my life in a difficult place, and has given me hope and strength to go forward when I needed a special touch from God in my own spirit.  What an amazing, tender God we serve!! How He loves us!!

Thank you Helo for sharing your story with the world!



About the Author:

Helouise "Halo" Matzelle led a charmed life until receiving a shocking diagnosis in 2011 of a rare brain tumor sitting over the main artery in her brain. Matzelle's passion is helping those who face various challenges and afflictions discover where true hope is found. She resides in Redmond, WA, with her husband and their three children.

Find Halo online HERE, HERE and HERE

Purchase your copy of the book HERE

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