Gratitude in Every Breath
Earlier this week, Dr. Erica Barber -- a physician and assistant professor in the Physician Assistant program at George Fox University -- stood before returning staff and faculty in Newberg with tears in her eyes. The story she shared was not about a medical case from her practice or a textbook example of resilience. It was about a student whose determination reminds us that faith often grows strongest in the hardest places.
Michael Hayes was born with Jeune syndrome, a rare genetic condition that restricts chest growth and limits lung capacity; 70 to 80% of Jeune patients do not survive infancy, but Michael and his sister are among the rare few to live into their late teens and early 20s.
Michael's life has been marked by 27 surgeries focused on giving him the most basic of gifts: the ability to breathe. This past spring, he underwent one of his most complex procedures yet: an 11-hour surgery in which surgeons broke multiple ribs, removed an old titanium rod, and placed a new one to allow his chest to grow and expand.
The recovery was grueling. For eight days he was intubated, unable to speak, and fully awake to the discomfort of his own fragile breathing. Yet through it all, Michael emerged with gratitude: “I learned to be grateful for every breath I can get because it’s a lot better than not breathing at all,” he reflected.
While Michael once walked the paths of the George Fox campus in Newberg, his health has declined this summer and an on-campus degree is no longer possible. He is now pursuing his degree fully online, allowing him to study from home, and still his determination has not faltered. He plans to study genetics so he can help other children born with his condition, and every class, every assignment, is part of his resolve to turn suffering into service.
In a recent interview, Michael shared that his hardships have not diminished his faith but have deepened it. Each hospital stay has drawn him closer to Jesus, and every recovery has stirred in him a longing for heaven -- where breath and body will one day be whole.
As he takes classes from his home in Oregon City, Michael’s story is now woven into our local community, and you can hear his story yourself in a recent interview with Dr. Barber titled "27 Surgeries and a Steadfast Faith."
Michael's faith invites us to consider our own challenges: Will we meet them with bitterness, or will we let them deepen our trust in Christ? Like Michael, let us choose gratitude. Let us offer our struggles as testimony, and let us live each day with the quiet conviction that even our hardest chapters can be used by God for His glory.