The Value of a Seed

Source: Children Come First
http://www.childrencomefirst.com/value.shtml

Contests
The Value of a Seed
By Mary Vela, Contest #200804

She took one of the mysterious seeds and tossed it into her garden. Little did she know that the seed belonged to a rare herb that had the power to heal Catalepsy. Catalepsy is a rare disorder affecting all muscles in the body. The body becomes rigid and may remain in one position for minutes, days, or longer. The person suffering from catalepsy can hear and sense everything around him, but appears dead to the world.

Before the advance of medical science, men, women and children suffering with this condition were actually buried alive. Imagine the horrific feeling of a woman waking up to find herself underground, and inside a sealed coffin. This happened before the embalming process was instituted.

During the Great Depression, my grandfather, a grave digger, reported a mind-chilling event: “The walls of the coffin had been covered with shiny white silk and there were gashes and rips where the man had fought with all his might to open the lid. Blood stains were smeared all over the silk cloth and his shoes were badly scuffed from trying to kick the lid open. His body was face down in his coffin.”

Mary Vela is from San Antonio, TX. Her published articles include: “The Importance of Faith,” St. Vincent de Paul’s Catholic Church Newsletter; and “Don’t Give Up on Faith,” Today’s Catholic Newspaper. "A Miracle for Juanito" earned Honorable Mention at the 74th Writers Digest Competition in October 2005. Vela has worked as an Editorial Assistant at a medical facility where she developed and edited regulations and guides, leading to cash awards, time off awards, and selection as Civilian of the Year. Vela is presently working on a series of children's stories related to growing pains. Two longer length manuscripts are also in the works: "The Mystery at the Old Shack" an expanded story about her grandfather's experience as a grave digger and "A Miracle for Juanito," a story about a mother's struggle to heal her crippled son.