Healing Hepatitis C Story of Hope

Frannie is one of our Best Friends in the battle. She is living with the Hepatitis C virus, awaiting the treatment option that will help her to move into a healthy future! She is a great contributor on Hepatitis C forums. Her unconditional love and uplifting words have encouraged so many who are living with the virus. Healing Hepatitis C Story of Hope is her personal testimony to the power of love.

Like most of us, her life took some twists and turns. She navigated her way through some hardships. Through it all, she remained a strong and beautiful woman who came out of each difficulty triumphantly.

Let’s hear it in her own words…

In my early teens, I was living in a very difficult family situation in Baltimore. I had no real parenting. My mom was not in my life and my dad was working 3 jobs to try to provide for his needs, his house and his three kids. I had no supervision and no parenting to guide me in my life. I was abused and have many scars, both physically and emotionally from the past.

Due to lack of supervision and the emotional pain I was dealing with, I started to “act out” on my inner pain and anger. I choose some extremely bad behaviors that were unacceptable for a teenager.  I smoked cigarettes and weed, I also drank. I ran with some hard core partying friends. I was arrested twice and spent time in jail because of drugs and behavior. When I did find my way back to my home I was either drunk or on drugs. By the time I was 16 my dad had enough. He decided that when I turned 16, he would throw me out of my house onto the street with a 20 dollar bill in my hand . I now understand, but at that time I did not understand anything.

I had some friends who were much older than I was. I had met them at a biker bar that I was able to get into even at 16. I had no place to go, no place to live. One of these biker friends picked me up on my doorstep the day my dad kicked me out, and drove me to a girlfriends house. Her mom allowed me to live there for a small amount of time. But once again my terrible behavior put a limit on their patience and I only stayed for a few months.  I was living on and off the streets for approximately a year.

During this time I hooked up with a biker who was a probate for the “Hells Angels” Outlaw Bikers.  I met him in the biker bar. We were living together and in order for me to make money I decided to become a “exotic dancer” to keep my biker boyfriend and myself in the drugs we liked. I was a “dancer” for approximately  4 years and of course, as you can probably imagine, there was plenty of drugs around that atmosphere. The more drugs the better.

I became addicted to Cocaine and Quaaludes. I also became a biker woman in a group called the “Pagans”. They were one of the biggest enemies to another biker group called “Fates Assembly” and I became a biker woman in their group too. I was so lost and I felt that the acceptance in these gangs were exactly what I was looking for. They were my family so to speak. But in these families, abuse, drugs, drinking, and crime were very prevalent. In one incident between these two rival gangs, I was involved in a “gunfight” in a neighborhood bar. I thank God that I was not killed that night. I also lived in a biker Clubhouse in Baltimore in Brooklyn Park that was threatened by a bomb by the rival gang and my whole gang who lived there had to get out and get out quick!

 I was in such darkness, too much to even go into here. I was involved in a motorcycle accident, without a helmet, That should have killed me also. but I got up and walked away from it intact! Wow. There are too many other incidents to mention here.

I eventually found a really nice biker who I fell in love with. He was not a outlaw biker, He was a really good guy. I left all the bikers and the gangs that I had been involved with and hooked myself up with him. I also moved in with him. He had a great job and he was so much fun and he seemed to be my “knight in shining armor”. Well, I got pregnant and we eventually got married. We moved away from Baltimore and became country folks. But I was still interested in my drugs and I still wanted to party. I found ways to continue my drugs and my habit.

Something started to change in my life. I began to have terrible, terribly frightening episodes that I now know were panic attacks. I could not explain it and I was so scared. The attacks were happening frequently. I was trying to  be a wife and a mom but also still party whenever possible. But these panic attacks were taking my life from me. I eventually became home bound, due to the attacks. I was afraid to go anywhere in fear that I would have a panic attack somewhere. I was totally homebound. Totally living in fear.

My neighbor was a God-fearing woman. She knew my past, knew my life, knew what I was doing but every opportunity she had she would love on me and share things with me. And she also share with me about God. God! I had no need of God and didn’t want to hear about God and didn’t want her to share anything with me about God! But, loving on me she did. She fed me and helped me with my baby and continued to accept me regardless of the way I was or the way I treated her.

One day I was sitting on her grassy hill looking up into the sky and she stepped outside and invited me to her church the very next day. I laughed. I told her no way. But she said that God heals from fear and I could be healed at revival. I had no idea what revival was! I asked her if God heals people at these places called revival. She said yes he does. Well, I  told her no, I don’t need God. But, I needed healed. The next day I was in my house and I jumped up and said to my husband I am going to church! He said, What the heck? I grabbed my coat and went down to that little tiny church in this neighborhood.

On the stage was a man. He had long hair, He had a long black beard. He began to speak his message. His message? No it was a message from God to me. He began to tell a story. Now remember he had never met me, he never saw me before this day. He said that he felt he was to change his planned message to tell a story instead. He began to tell a story of a little girl who had never had a family or a daddy, and had been abandoned. He said that this little girl had always sought for love and affection and acceptance in all the wrong places. He began to explain how she wished she could sit upon her fathers lap and just be held by him. But she sought it in vain and her heart was still empty, She only found more abuse!

He shared about a Heavenly Father who loves unconditionally and who sees our heart and our needs. Who forgives and who changes fear to faith. Who accepts us, all our baggage and all our past mistakes, takes them and changes them into something good.  Who takes broken hearts and people and brings peace and healing to them!

Wow! My whole life, my heart held in his hands. All my hopes all my dreams, being spoken by this man that I have never met in my life.

At the close of his message he asked if there was anyone who would like to “Know” this Heavenly Father whose love is perfect and whose love is kind, who forgives the past and makes all things new.

The next thing I remember is me, in all my biker glory, black boots, black leather jacket, chains hanging down off my pants, jumping up and moving to the front of this little church. I fell to my knees. I laid my head upon the altar there and wept. I wept great tears. I don’t know why I was weeping. I was surprised at myself. I felt a gentle hand laid upon my head. I looked up. I looked up into the most loving gentle eyes that I have ever seen. The love exploded from his eyes. I wish to this day I could explain it adequately. He had shining tears in his eyes. I looked at him and told him I didn’t understand what was happening. He told me God loved me and wanted to be my “Father” one who loves unconditionally and accepts me. He would help me and use me to touch others lives. I bowed my head and once again tears began to flow.

That day My life was changed. I had never ever in my life heard of a personal savior named Jesus and I had no idea he loved me personally. I knew that this day this Jesus became real to me. I have now followed him for 28 years. I found out at a later date that this preacher was an old biker himself, and had been a drummer for the Doobie Brothers and had sang with other bands. Wow, the perfect preacher to come for me from Georgia to Maryland.

I said all this as a testimony to how my life was, how it was changed, and how much the Lord means in my life. He is sustaining me and helping me.  But, because of the years of abuse to my body I am now suffering from a slow moving disease that can destroy my liver if it is not treated. I have been well taken care of by God, by my family and by my husband, and my liver doctor. The drugs that are currently being used are very harsh to the body and I choose not to use them. I am waiting upon a group of newer drugs that will be more beneficial and will have less harmful side effects. Until that day I am thanking my Friends and my family and most expressly my Lord for helping me and having patience with me daily. This is the reason why I sometimes ask for prayer. I live with symptoms of the disease and they can be debilitating at times.

The new drugs will be available later this year. I am waiting and trusting. This is my personal testimony for anyone who is interested. If you have any questions or any comments, please feel free to respond. It is my hope that this will offer hope to others and be a springboard for prayer. I’m praying for you, and my request is that you pray for me also. Love, Frannie

Frannie Ford is a wife and mother. She is also a sister in the faith and a Best Friend in the battle against any enemy you come up against – including Hepatitis C. This is her Healing Hepatitis C Story of Hope