When God’s Path Is Frightening 

By Ruth Ann Ruiz

The Post Newspaper Features Editor

If God takes you down a direction you don’t want to go, all you can do is keep your faith and eyes on Him, which is exactly what one of our contributing writers, LaShell Amey endured. 

She was working from home in the fall of 2021 when her head started aching; she felt nauseous and had a hot tingling sensation in her legs, arms, and hands. A call to her doctor’s office brought out directions for her to report to an emergency room.

It was at the emergency room that she was diagnosed with a very rare condition, chiari malformation. Seeking out a neurologist was the only solution. She learned her brain was pushing down on her spinal nerves and she would need surgery.

The procedure she was about to face could have left her paralyzed but without the surgery she was sure to be paralyzed, if not worse. On December 30, 2021, she had her first surgery to correct the situation. Part of her skull and her C-1 were removed.

Post-surgery, she had spinal fluid leaks and was rushed into another surgery on January 7, 2022, to resolve the condition. 

LaShell had loved playing volleyball and enjoyed doing yardwork. Also, like any mother of three teenage daughters, there was a lot of cooking and other household chores that required bending and reaching up.

Since her surgery she has limitations on her movements. She can’t place her head below her heart, and she has to use caution when she turns to look at something. 

If she wants to do yardwork, she must sit in a spot and then scoot over to another spot. Her head cannot take any kind of G-force, so no more volleyball and running is out too. In the kitchen, she has to squat to get something from down below and she uses one of those grabber tools to assist her with the other chores. 

After over a year off from her job, Lashell returned to her work in logistics at Johnson Space Center. She has maintained her role as a mother and continued to inspire others in her outreach ministry.

She is a woman of faith and throughout her horrific journey her faith kept her going. “I always trusted and knew God would pull me through it. Even though I was scared, I kept my faith in God,” shared LaShell.

LaShell will be sharing in her own words with the depth of her experiences and how she was able to keep her spirit positive. We look forward to publishing her contributions as a writer with our audience in future issues. 

From all of us at The Post Newspaper, we give a great big, huge, Thank You Jesus for bringing LaShell through and allowing her to continue to live her life and inspire others.