Mary Campbell, shown at left with her husband Robert Campbell, died and came back to life on Nov. 20. Now her family has something extra to celebrate this Christmas.

On Nov. 20 Marsha Klug, an Emergency Medical Technician for Wetzel County Emergency Medical Squad, was to work at the Pine Grove station. However, when she arrived there the squad was empty. The crew was out on a run, so all she could do was wait until they returned.

She made herself a cup of tea and called her dad, Robert Campbell of New Martinsville. She was checking on her mom, Mary Campbell, who had been sick for some time. Suddenly her dad said something was wrong with her mother and hung up the phone.

“I called my sister (Bobbi Dyer) and asked what was wrong with Mom,” said Klug. Her sister replied that she had just left their parents’ home and their mother was fine. Klug told her what their dad had said. “I’m at work. Can you go back?” she questioned.

Just then the tones dropped on the scanner in Klug’s empty emergency squad room. It was a 911 call to her parents’ house.

“I screamed to my sister to go back to Mom’s and I’m on my way,” recalled Klug.

At another WCEMS station Klug’s son-in-law, Chris Fabrizio, a paramedic, was called to respond to the Campbell home. He and EMT Steve Raper hurried to Mary’s aid.

Klug called her brothers to tell them to go to their parents’ home or the hospital, then she left Pine Grove. “I can remember crying to God, ‘Please let my mom live. At least let me tell her good bye,'” said Klug.

At Wetzel County Hospital the emergency room nurses and emergency crew worked furiously to save her mother who was in congestive heart failure. The ER doctor told Klug she had to decide right then if they wanted to put her mom on life support; she was crashing.

“I thought I would die. I knew what I had to do,” said Klug. “Mom and I had talked about this many times, so I said ‘no’ to life support.”

Her father asked Klug what she and the doctor were discussion and, she said, “He lost it, went back to Mom, and prayed, ‘Please God no!'”

At this time Mary’s body was shutting down. The hospital moved the family to a room were they could all be with her until she left to go home with God. As they all said their goodbyes and love yous they noticed her breathing and gurgling had slowed down; it was a matter of time.

Their pastor, Dave Snyder of the New Martinsville Church of God, and his wife, Sarah, prayed for Mary and her family. “It was then that God’s hand was in play and we didn’t see it for we were grieving,” said Klug.

Dyer was sitting on the bed with her mom and said, “Mom is smiling.” Klug told her it was okay, maybe it was God’s way of telling us she’s with Him. Then Dyer got off the bed and said, “Mom is laughing.”

“We all were just staring at her, not knowing what to do,” recalled Klug. “Then Mom opened her eyes and smiled, holding out her arms.”

The family members looked at each other until finally someone said, “Sometimes they come back to say goodbye.” Robert Campbell, Klug’s nephew turned to her and asked, “What do I do?” She told him to tell his grandma he loved her.

“The next thing we knew Mom was talking to us and she had the most beautiful glow I ever saw on her face,” said Klug. “Then Mom said she was sent back to save her kids.” She said she had a message for each one of us and when the time is right she will call us in and talk.

They were all afraid to leave their mother and grandmother’s side at the hospital, afraid she would die while they were gone, but one by one they all left. All except for her husband, Robert, who said he would call their kids if anything changed.

When they came back the next day their mom was a little stronger. “Dad stayed with Mom every night and us kids stayed the days. We watched Mom grow stronger every day,” noted Klug.

With perfect timing Mary came home Thanksgiving Day. The family now has hospice with her and her family thanks God every day for giving them their mother back. She has gotten stronger every day and is now up walking and enjoying her family again.

“My mom is my Christmas miracle,” said Klug. “We will be celebrating Christmas with Mom again and I give all the glory to God.”

The entire family can now see God’s hand in the whole situation. Chris’ emergency crew was called on for an ALS (Advanced Life Support) transfer and should have been gone. But when no other ambulances were available and “for some reason” his emergency crew was delayed on transfer, Chris’ crew took the emergency call to the Campbell home.

“Then at Wetzel County Hospital the emergency room nurses were great,” said Klug. “They worked hard to save my mom, but none of the medicine would work.”

“All things fell into place so God could work on our mother’s body,” stated Klug. “I believe God used my mom to show all of us He is still the same God today as He was back then. I believe my family needed this miracle to heal our hearts and bring us back together stronger than we were before.”

The Campbell family certainly has extra reason to spend a blessed Christmas together. Mary and Robert Campbell’s family includes their children and spouses Baron and Donna Campbell of Maine, Mike and Debbie Campbell of New Martinsville, Butch and Marsha Klug of Proctor, Jeff and Sharon Campbell of New Martinsville, Bobbi and John Dyer of New Martinsville, and John Campbell of Slim Chance. The family is completed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.