By the Grace... I Survived the Widow Maker

Karen Glennon has lived through more than most people could imagine—and she knows exactly why she’s still here: God’s not finished with her yet.

She survived the widow maker—a massive heart attack that so often proves fatal—and underwent five bypass surgeriesto save her life. But that was only the beginning of a long and trying journey.

Blood clots in her right leg led to a stent in her groin, only for it to clog again six months later, requiring another surgery. A year later, her left leg needed repair, and doctors placed a graft that acted like a strainer through the thigh. But during a follow-up visit, her stitches were removed too early, and it led to a serious wound. She was placed on a wound vac and assigned home health care, but Medicare would only cover visits three days a week. That left most of the care to her husband, who stepped in to clean and change bandages twice a day.

On top of that, she’s had eight mini-strokes and is insulin-dependent with diabetes.

Any one of these health battles could’ve been too much. But somehow, Karen has come through them all.

She’s quick to say it wasn’t her strength that got her through—it was God’s grace. She believes her life is part of a greater plan, and every day she wakes up, she knows He still has work for her to do.

"If I don’t know anything else," she says, "I know I’m here on His journey."

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