Reporter: THE MORNING

OF FEBRUARY 6, 2008, BARBARA

HERNANDEZ COLLAPSED AFTER

TAKING A SHOWER.

I COULDN'T MOVE.

I LOOKED AT MY LEGS.

I WAS TRYING TO WAKE THEM

UP, YOU KNOW.

I WAS HITTING THEM.

NOTHING -- I COULDN'T EVEN

FEEL THAT.

Reporter: AT THE

HOSPITAL, TESTS SHOWED

BARBARA HAD GIAN BARRE

SYNDROME, OR G.B.S., WHERE

THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ATTACKS

THE NERVOUS SYSTEM.

THIS NEUROLOGIST, KEN

ELINGTON, EXPLAINS.

YOU CAN THINK OF A NERVE

AS A COPPER WIRE WITH RUBBER

INSULATION AROUND IT.

IN THIS DISEASE, THE BODY

ATTACKS THE INSULATION AND

STRIPS IT OFF, AND SO THE

SIGNAL DOESN'T GET THROUGH

TO THE MUSCLES VERY WELL,

AND THAT MAKES YOU APPEAR

WEAK.

Reporter: THEY TOLD

BARBARA IT COULD ALSO RESULT

IN PARALYSIS.

YOU THINK, PARALYZED,

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO WALK

ANYMORE.

THE FIRST THING I WAS ASKING

IS, AM I GOING TO WALK

AGAIN?

Reporter: AS WITH MOST

CASES.

G.B.S., DOCTORS EXPECTED THE

SYMPTOMS TO PASS WITHIN A

FEW MONTHS.

BARBARA, ALONG WITH HER

HUSBAND, CARLOS, AND HER

FAMILY BEGAN TO PRAY.

I HAD COMMUNICATE WITH

GOD, HELP ME HERE HOW TO

APPROACH THIS, HOW TO TAKE

THE PAIN IN STRIDE.

BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE A

LONG TRIP.

I COULD SENSE IT.

Reporter: HE WAS

RIGHT.

BARBARA'S CONDITION DECLINED

RAPIDLY.

WITHIN TWO WEEKS, SHE WAS

PARALYZED, UNCONSCIOUS, AND

ON LIFE SUPPORT.

SHE WAS MOVED TO SETON

MEDICAL CENTER IN AUSTIN,

TEXAS.

THE HOSPITAL STAFF WORKED

AROUND THE CLOCK TO KEEP HER

ALIVE.

CARLOS STAYED AT HER

BEDSIDE.

THE LORD GAVE ME SO MUCH

STRENGTH THAT I WAS SO

FOCUSED ON WHAT I NEEDED TO

BE DOING.

Reporter: DOCTORS WERE

VERY CONCERNED.

THEY HAD SEEN CASES OF

G.B.S. BEFORE, BUT NOTHING

LIKE THIS.

SO SHE HAD A VERY, VERY

SEVERE FORM OF IT.

AND THAT'S ONLY BEEN

DESCRIBED IN THE MEDICAL

LITERATURE SIX OR SEVEN

TIMES.

SHE HAD A FULL LUNG

COLLAPSE.

THE OTHER ONE WAS PARTIALLY

COLLAPSED.

SHE DEVELOPED SOME BLOOD

CLOTS, TOO, AS WELL.

HER BLOOD PRESSURE WAS SO

ERRATIC.

THEY WOULD TRY TO LEVEL IT

OFF, AND IT WOULD BOTTOM

OUT, AND IT WOULD JUST GO

SKY-HIGH.

Reporter: MEANWHILE,

BARBARA WAS LIVING HER OWN

NIGHTMARE.

ACCORDING TO DR. ELINGTON,

SHE WAS IN A DREAM-LIKE

STATE, WHICH MEANS SHE COULD

FEEL PAIN.

THE SEVERITY WAS LIKE

PEOPLE WERE STABBING ME.

BURNING, LIKE MY SKIN WAS ON

FIRE.

Reporter: STILL, CARLOS

BELIEVED GOD WOULD ANSWER

THEIR PRAYERS.

THERE WAS JUST SO MUCH

AGAINST HER, THAT STARTED

DEVELOPING WITHIN THOSE FEW

MONTHS.

WE, AS A FAMILY, STARTED

PRAYING TO GOD TO HELP US.

Reporter: FOUR MONTHS

PASSED.

BARBARA SAYS SHE COULDN'T

BEAR THE PAIN ANY LONGER.

I WAS TIRED NOW.

I SAID, IF THIS IS THE WAY

IT IS BEFORE YOU DIE, THEN,

LORD, TAKE ME.

AND I HAD MY CONVERSATION

WITH THE LORD AT THAT TIME.

I SAID, TAKE CARE OF MY

HUSBAND.

GIVE HIM A GOOD WIFE WHEN

I'M GONE, SO HE IS NOT

ALONE.

TAKE CARE OF MY CHILDREN.

AND AS I TOLD HIM THAT AND I

FELT SUCH A PEACE, SUCH A

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL PEACE.

I HEARD A VOICE VERY CLEAR.

IT WAS LIKE A SONG.

LIKE SOMEBODY SANG IT.

SO BEAUTIFUL, AND IT WAS A

MAN'S VOICE.

AND I BELIEVE IT WAS THE

LORD.

AND HE TOLD ME IT'S NOT YOUR

TIME.

AND THERE WAS A CLICK IN MY

EARS, AND MY HEARING WENT

ON.

MY SIGHT, I BELIEVE, DIDN'T

RETURN UNTIL A WEEK OR TWO

LATER.

Reporter: AFTER SUCH A

LONG TIME, BARBARA COULDN'T

WAIT TO TALK TO HER FAMILY

AND THE HOSPITAL STAFF.

OH, YES, A BEAUTIFUL,

BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL DAY.

ALL OF THE NURSES THAT I HAD

CAME IN THE ROOM.

EVERYONE WAS SURROUNDING

ME.

SHE JUST GOT WARMED UP

AND TOOK OFF.

AND IT WAS BARBARA ALL BACK

AGAIN.

IT WAS JUST A GREAT GIFT

THAT I GOT BACK.

Reporter: BARBARA

STARTED THE LONG PROCESS OF

RECOVERY.

CONSIDERING THE SEVERITY OF

HER CASE, DOCTORS WEREN'T

SURE HOW WELL SHE WOULD DO.

THAT LED TO ME TRUSTING

THE LORD, YOU KNOW, PUTTING

ALL OF MY FAITH IN HIM.

I STARTED LOOKING BACK AT

THE WHOLE MEMORY OF IT

SAYING, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GOT

ME THROUGH ALL OF THAT,

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH

YOU, LORD.

NOTHING.

NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

YOU'LL GET ME OUT OF THIS,

TOO.

Reporter: BARBARA

RETURNED HOME DETERMINED TO

WALK.

AFTER MONTHS OF THERAPY AND

PRAYER, SHE DID.

GOD HAS MANY GIFTS FOR

YOU IF YOU ASK AND RELY ON

HIM.

HE'S THERE.

EVERY MORNING WHEN I WAKE

UP, OF COURSE I'M THANKFUL.

I'M THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE,

THAT I'M HERE.

THERE ISN'T A DAY THAT I AM

NOT THANKFUL TO THE LORD.

I AM TRULY THANKFUL THAT I

CAN GET A FORK IN MY SHAND

AND BRING FOOD TO MY MOUTH.

THE LITTLE THINGS LIKE THAT,

THAT I COULDN'T DO, THAT WE

TAKE SO MUCH FOR GRANTED.

I'M SO GRATEFUL AND SO

THANKFUL TO BE ALIVE.