Joni Eareckson Tada recovering from hospital stay

Joni Eareckson Tada, a Christian author and advocate for people with disabilities, was released from the hospital earlier this week after a 14-day stay to treat breathing problems. “Basically, over the many years, my chronic quadriplegia has put a strain on my heart and lungs,” she said in a statement Wednesday. “The good news is, doctors believe that with medication and with a more efficient way of breathing, my condition can be reversed.”

Tada, 69, became quadriplegic 51 years ago in a diving accident. Since then, she founded Joni and Friends, an international ministry to people with disabilities. Tada was WORLD’s Daniel of the Year in 2017.

New health problems arose during her second bout with breast cancer, which doctors discovered last fall. “The preliminary diagnosis was at first gloomy, but over time the assessment was much brighter,” she said of her recent hospitalization. “When nurses and aides, respiratory therapists, and doctors asked how I was doing, I could say, ‘Jesus gives me His peace. It’s not as the world gives, so my heart’s not troubled and I’m not afraid.’”