Andrew Bennett in Conversation with Elizabeth Starr

Interview from correspondence in preparation for Andrew's address to the Youth PowerPoint event in Aberdeen on the 9th March 2019.

 Can I get you to tell us a bit about yourself what age are you, and what have you been doing since leaving school?

I am a 22 year old student at Sheffield University.  Before uni I visited North East India with the Baptist Mission Society.  I was due to visit again over Christmas but this never happened.

 What happened to you on Saturday 22^nd of September 2018?

I had a brain haemorrhage.  I got up to brush my teeth but felt sick.  I thought "oh no, my flatmates are going to see me being sick”.  Then I felt my left leg and arm stop working, and I managed to get onto my bed.  Then I fell on the floor.  My right side was spazeming, and I had a terrible pain behind my eyes.  I was fully aware of what was going on and knew that my flatmates would find me, and probably also ‘freak out’.  I was on the floor for about an hour until I was found.  My flatmate called an ambulance.  Nearly every muscle in my body was affected, but I survived because some breathing and the heart beat is involuntary, and not controlled in the same way.  When I got to hospital I was sedated and put on a Neuro Critical Care Ward. 

To start with I needed a lot of medical support.  I had tubes and needles all over me.  I needed help to breathe, and was given a tracheotomy, which is where the breathing goes straight into your wind pipe.  I was feed through a tube into my stomach.  I couldn’t speak.  I could squeeze my right hand to indicate yes and no.  It took a month for me to be able to breathe by myself, and three months before I could eat safely.

 How have you coped with this massive change in your circumstances? That’s now 6 months ago.. that’s a long time what keeps you going?

I know very well that God loves you, whatever your condition.  I cannot sing and play the guitar at the moment, but I know that you can worship in your spirit even without a voice.  I have realised that I can encourage the staff and other patients, even without words.  It is very important to trust that people will look after you when you need help.

 What has been the hardest thing?

Not being able to walk.  You feel restless.  You can’t twitch your left foot, or left hand.  A lot of the time through the day you have to amuse yourself, and it gets boring.

 What part has your faith played in helping you at this time?

Having a relationship with God gives you a really good perspective.  I am seeing positive progress.  I know that God uses suffering to make good things happen.  I know that the suffering I am experiencing is character-building, that is assured in the bible. 

 We’re thinking about how with knowing who we are in Jesus we can face any circumstances.. what would you want to say to others who have their own difficult things they are facing?

I think it is really important to be humble, and not to feel self-pity.  Rather look at what God can do.  We know the bible says God loves us and wants good things for us, so in suffering, this is no less true, and I trust that this is true for me.  No matter what you are feeling, the messages in the bible remain true.

 Thanks so much for being willing to share with us we really appreciate it… blessings on you from Scotland..….Thanks ….