Seeking Thérèse’s Intercession
My Healing Story
By Isabel Quesnell, OCDS
One morning in December 2001, I woke up with a swollen face. I thought it was my allergies, and didn’t think much of it the rest of the day. The next day, not only my face was swollen, but it seemed I’d gained weight overnight. Concerned, I went to the hospital. Having no pain or other symptoms, I was sent home. “You’re going too hard on yourself. It’s okay to gain a little weight. It’s the holidays,” the nurses told me. But I knew something wasn’t right.
A day later I noticed more weight gain and decided to see a doctor again. Suspecting kidney disease, the doctor placed me under a 24- hour urine collection. The swelling continued. I couldn’t complete my urine collection before I had to rush to the emergency room. The swelling had increased so much that I began to have trouble breathing.
My condition was serious, and a biopsy of my kidneys needed to be performed. The procedure included inserting a long needle all the way to my kidneys. I nervously prayed and asked God to guide the doctors. I called a priest to administer the Anointing of the Sick. At this point, I really thought I was going to die.
The biopsy revealed what the doctor suspected: kidney disease. I was prescribed heavy medication to combat the disease, but it would also result In weakening my muscles and bones as a side effect.
This was when I had my first contact with St. Thérèse. At the encouragement of my sister, I began to ask for Thérèse’s intercession. I began to get better, and I was able to slowly return to the life I had been living before my illness. I had a relapse in 2003, but was able to overcome it after a heavy medication regimen.
In 2006 came another relapse. This time the stakes were higher: if the kidney disease kept returning, I would have to be placed on dialysis and continue with even stronger medication. I was left tired and weak. I needed something. A little bit of relief. I was at the point of giving up. “What is my body doing?” I would wonder, as it seemed to be rejecting my medication.
I had a heart-to-heart talk with God and begged for his mercy. I asked for the intercession of St. Thérèse and Mother Mary and began to pray a novena to St. Thérèse and to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. I was not going to lose hope.
By 2007, weakened from the side effects of my medication, I was encouraged by one of the Secular Carmelites to attend a Mass for healing at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower. I approached the altar and received an anointing. When the priest touched my head, a feeling of warmth and comfort came about me. Afterward, I felt a sudden urge to use the restroom. I rushed to the restroom, my weakness now gone, and to my surprise, I saw my urine was clear like water. “I’m healed! I claim this healing!” I excitedly exclaimed.
The next week, I returned to the hospital to see my nephrologist and assured the doctor that I didn’t have to take any more medication as I’d been healed. Doubtful, the doctor ordered a complete lab test. The results came back revealing I was in complete remission of my kidney disease and could be tapered off my medicine. I was elated. The relief I was seeking had arrived.
It doesn’t mean that because you were healed, that’s it. The journey goes up and down and there are bumps in the road, but it’s how you handle it and how you trust God, and it will be okay. Since my healing, I have come across some more downs in my journey, but they have been followed by ups. In 2009, a cooking accident caused third degree burns to my legs. At the time my husband was stationed in Saudi Arabia, but I wasn’t alone. I credit the Secular Carmelites—I call them my “Simons” after Simon the Cyrene—for checking in on me, raising my spirits, and encouraging me to walk as I recovered.
In 2016, I was involved in a head-on collision after another driver ran a red light. The crash crushed my car like an accordion and, upon arriving on the scene and seeing the impact, my husband feared the worst. I survived, seemingly at first with only minor injuries, but dizziness, swelling, and not being able to walk later prompted my delivery to the trauma center. I knew I didn’t deserve it, but I asked for God’s help and St. Thérèse’s intercession again, and I was slowly able to recover.
I’m really humbled by everything. Maybe God has a reason for extending my life. Maybe God granted me a favor because there’s still something I can do. I can help others to trust God.
Isabel (Belle) Quesnell, OCDS, was born in Manila, Philippines. She met her husband there at Clark Air Force Base and came to the United States in 1983. Recently retired from 40 years in various areas of federal service, Belle enjoys choreography, sewing, and planting Filipino vegetables that are hard to find in the U.S. Belle is a member of the OCDS and an active volunteer at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower.
What’s Your Miracle?
If you have a story about how St. Thérèse has impacted your life, share it with us at: media@littleflowerbasilica.org
From left: Fr. Gregory Ross, OCD, Isabel Quesnell, OCDS, and Fr. Jorge Cabrera, OCD.