Perseverence

Dianne Odell, of Jackson, Tennessee, has lived an extraordinary life. Her story received nationwide attention when reported by Bill Poovey of the Associated Press. The story reveals a woman of remarkable courage and patience. Dianne has spent 51 of her 54 years in an iron lung. Very few iron lung patients remain.

This device is used to help polio patients breathe. A patient has to lie down in the lung all the time for it to do its life-saving work. This has not stopped Dianne. She graduated from high school and college. She is involved with her church. Through a special voice activated device, she wrote an autobiography, telling children with disabilities not to give up. Dianne gives particular praise to her parents, thanking God for them along with her many friends. What puts the rest of us to shame is her confident assertion, "I have had a good life."

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Michael Shannon, Preaching March/April 2002