Gail Parton believes in miracles; she is one

When Gail Parton walked across the stage at the Foundation at Isothermal Community College March 1, for her induction into the Rutherford County Education Hall of Fame speech, people in the audience were witnessing a miracle, she believes.

Parton was able to walk across the stage without the assistance of a wheelchair, a walker or a cane.

"I believe in miracles. God is good," she said.

"My journey was one of despair, of no hope, of determination, of victory and blessings", she said of an illness last fall that left her unable to walk. During that time she was diagnosed with tinnitus, urinary tract infections (UTI) and the inability to walk. Tinnitus is a ringing or a chirping in the middle ear, and Parton's ringing sounded like crickets. Although not uncommon, only five percent of people diagnosed with tinnitus have a severe case. She was one of the five percent.

After hospitalization, she was admitted to assisted living for physical therapy and believed at that point, she'd never walk again. She was unable to get out of bed on some days. Weeks later, after being released from assisted living in October, she went home to continue physical therapy and finally began to feel and be stronger.

"For the first time, I had hope," Parton said. "With that hope came determination. I was determined that I would walk again. Things began to get better. I was fitted with hearing aids for the tinnitus. The brain teaches itself to hear a white noise and not the cricket. I do not know how they work but they do. I had been given an antibiotic to which I was resistant. I continued physical therapy," Parton said.

When Christmas time arrived, she knew in her soul, Christmas was going to be different than ever before and it was.

"I would not decorate or participate in Christmas baking," Parton said. "I would only observe. Christmas was different and it was the best Christmas ever. I will never again take the sights and sounds of Christmas for granted," she said.

Parton is not the same person she was before her sicknesses and believes she will never take for granted that she can walk, see the trees and flowers and the birds feeding on her bird feeders...or "The sun rising over the ocean and that I would soon hold in my arms, my first great grandchild."

Parton reflects on her illness. "The cricket sound was so loud. I could not function, when I would get over one UTI to then get another one, when I was so weak, I could not push my wheelchair with my hands, my faith was weak. Then I realized that my priorities had changed. My family was already close and that during this trial we had become closer. I had learned take one day at a time. I had a different relationship with my Savior," she said.