A mother inspired to trust God during daughter’s battle with Sickle Cell

Article By Ann Parker // EEW Magazine Features Writer

“They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” Revelation 12:11 NIV

TaKisha Clyburn, a North Carolina native, heard about the miraculous healing of EEW Magazine President, Dianna Hobbs, author of God Did It: A True Story of Miraculous Healing, on the radio where she lives.

This tenacious mother of faith, whose daughter was diagnosed with Sickle Cell, has been inspired to cling to belief in God’s healing power despite the odds. This is her story.

Madison McKinley Clyburn, affectionately known as “Little Ms. Madison,” was born on March 20, 2013. According to her parents, they didn’t expect a new bundle of joy when they received the news on July 13, 2012.

“We had two other kids, our oldest son, Markayle and daughter Morgan, which would both have a 17 and 12 year gap from their baby sister, Madison,” TaKisha tells EEW Magazine.

Shocking and all, the parents had to embrace a new normal. The day Madison arrived, Mom tells EEW, “We were all nervous, excited and relieved that we were beginning a new chapter in our lives.” 

That joy and eagerness, however, was quickly overshadowed by devastating news. “All seemed great until we received a call on a stormy Friday two weeks after being home with our newborn baby,” says TaKisha. Madison had tested positive for Sickle Cell SC disease, a condition caused by a mutation in the blood cell protein called hemoglobin.

“We were told how Madison's life would be so terrible and were given a diagnosis of how she would die. This is a day we will never forget,” TaKisha recalls.

The heartbroken mother, who chose to believe God above her circumstances, began the doctor’s recommended regimen for an infant with Sickle Cell. “Anytime she reached a temperature of 101 degrees and beyond, she would have to be hospitalized,” recalls Mom. “Her hospital visits began soon after she started growing. Before Madison reached 1 year of age, she had already had several hospital stays on record.” 

Being in and out of the hospital with an uncertain future was emotionally draining and taxing on the family. “She was also required to take Penicillin both day and night until she was five years old,” continues TaKisha. “This requirement seemed like a punishment that we would have to repeat each day for 5 years, 60 months, 1,825 days. As a mother, I felt that I was giving my daughter poison on some days. It was so very hard.”

But, over time, with prayer and consistency, TaKisha explains, “Giving the required daily dosage became a way of life.”

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Photo Courtesy of TaKisha Clyburn

Despite the hardships and unpleasantness of it all, Mom says, “the attitude Madison developed was amazing. She faced each day with a zeal and excitement that melted away any bad day. I remember after being in the hospital maybe the 15th time, I was taking her to school and she looked at the sky in excitement at not being in a hospital. She said, ‘Hello world!'"

Still today, Mom says Madison looks up at the sky, breathes in the brisk air, allows the sun to light up her face and utters those same two words: “Hello world."

With everything the family has been through, Mom is yet choosing to continue moving forward by faith, believing the Lord for the total healing for her daughter. In the meantime, TaKisha is celebrating a big milestone.

“I am grateful to report that Madison turned 5 years old and we can stop taking the Penicillin! I am thrilled that we can begin a new chapter in Madison’s life. She is teaching us how to live life to the fullest and to see the joy in every moment. We don't live by what we were told at birth about how her life would be so terrible; we live by faith in Jesus Christ,” she tells EEW Magazine joyfully.

For individuals like TaKisha who are facing a difficult journey, she offers these words of encouragement:

In this life we will have trials and tribulations. As we had to learn, Jesus is able to heal and we should face each day with a "Hello World" attitude, knowing that whatever the circumstance may be, you can cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for you.

TaKisha and Madison are shining examples of the power of faith and what it looks like to believe God for positive outcomes in negative situations.

Be inspired by Dianna Hobbs' book God Did It. Visit GodDidItBook.com.