Annette Treat, head teacher at SonShine Academy in Worland, Wyoming, learned firsthand how close God is to her and to her school.
In July of 2022, Annette went to the hospital to have routine surgery performed. Unbeknownst to Annette or her surgeon, a hole formed in her small intestine during her simple procedure and Annette began to get sick. Over the next few days, sepsis filled her body and her organs started shutting down. She was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Billings, Montana, where she underwent a second surgery. There, they discovered the hole in her small intestine and repaired it, but the damage had been done. She would require two more surgeries to clean out the infection, and doctors recommended she be put in a medically-induced coma for eight days.
As Annette endured the surgeries and the uncertainty of the future, she knew God was with her. “Some of the most precious times I have ever spent with Jesus were during the weeks following the coma,” Annette says. “Jesus was close to me and real to me, every day and night. I was never afraid, and I never felt alone. I saw Jesus’ face. He was always smiling lovingly at me.”
As Annette was fighting for her life, her church and school board began formulating a plan for the school year. They stepped out in faith, knowing that God would provide the people and the plan to move forward. Through prayer and cooperation, volunteers and subs filled in where needed and made it possible for the school to continue to operate.
The healing process has not been easy for Annette, but after four months of physical therapy, she gained back her strength and is walking and doing exercises on her own.
In January 2023, Annette was able to return to her classroom. “It feels absolutely lovely to be back in the classroom!” she says. “The school board and my substitutes did such an amazing job of holding down the fort while I was gone.”
Annette knows firsthand that with God all things are possible, no matter how scary or intimidating they may sound. “If God is with you, who can be against you?”
Read the full story at outlookmag.org/annette-treat
Stephanie Gottfried is the RMC education administrative assistant.
