In the vibrant college lanes of Corbusier’s Chandigarh, Parveen Bobby was known for her infectious laughter, bright eyes, and big dreams. A cheerful student from Ladakh, Praveen was full of life. She had no reason to suspect that an ordinary girls’ trip to Delhi would be the moment her world turned upside down.
On the way we stopped at a restaurant for lunch,” Parveen recalls. “I had a burger that didn’t taste right. Suddenly, I couldn’t move my body at all.”
Alarmed and confused, her friends cut their trip short and rushed her back to Chandigarh. She was admitted to a hospital where doctors delivered the devastating diagnosis: brain fever. The prognosis was bleak.
The doctors said there was no hope. I would either remain paralysed for life or die.”
Unable to move, Parveen was brought home to Leh by her mother, who refused to give up. But the days that followed were filled with despair. Parveen was completely paralysed—unable to speak, walk, or care for herself. She was fully dependent on others.
The Turning Point: Persistent Prayer
Even when hope seemed distant, Praveen’s mother and church community never stopped praying. Day after day, they cried out to God, believing for a miracle. And while her body remained still, something began to stir in her spirit.
“When I was younger, I believed Jesus existed, but that was it. Through my sickness, I came closer to Him. I was confined to bed in hopelessness and desperation. That’s when I truly felt His touch,” she shares.
In that stillness, Jesus became more than a distant figure. He became her only hope.
I realised Jesus was my hope, and I placed my trust in Him. Suddenly, my hopelessness turned into hope.”
As her prayers deepened and her faith grew, so did her recovery.
Healing Begins: Hope Comes Alive
“My mother and friends prayed for me fervently, and I could feel improvement in my condition day by day.”
Within nine months, her speech returned. Slowly, strength entered her limbs. After two years, she was able to stand on her feet again. Psalm 23 became her anchor:
“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me… they comfort me.”
“Even when doctors gave up, I chose to put my trust in Jesus,” Parveen testifies. “He gave me peace when nothing else did.”
Today, Parveen walks in restored health and unshakable faith. She has a strong relationship with Jesus—one built in the valley, not the mountaintop.
“Now I know when I pray, Jesus hears me. He answers. Jesus is my Saviour.”
