The Faith Of A Child

"They told Mum I would die at any time"

Adriano Campos was a lively 10-year-old boy with the entire world before him. No one imagined that his childhood would be marred by a devastating illness that left him hospital bound and fighting for his life. Though physically weak and in a lot of pain, Adriano’s inner strength and simple heart embraced the Word of hope that proved to be the secret remedy that medics were unable to provide him with.

Twenty years on, he recalls the extraordinary events that changed his life.

“I was a healthy and normal boy until one evening when I started feeling sharp pains in my stomach. My parents took me to many different hospitals, and after several tests, I was finally diagnosed with a tumor. From that moment on, I was in hospital more than I was at home. It was half way through an operation that doctors realised how severe my case was. They told my mum and dad that I had a malignant tumor that had already spread to other organs in my body. They gave my parents two options; remove as much of the tumor as possible and hope for the best as they waited to see how my system would take it; or take out my organs and perform a scrape. This gave me a 2% chance of survival and I would be paralysed from the waist down if successful. They chose the first option.

From Bad To Worse

I had to undergo radiotherapy and chemotherapy. All my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes fell out. I was constantly throwing up and I didn’t play anymore because I wasn’t strong enough. I had always been very active and lively, but it was like I was slowly dying. The chemotherapy and radiotherapy hurt a lot. I remember receiving 72 injections n my left arm because it became so hard for the doctors to find my veins.

I also had a bone marrow extraction. This procedure was really painful. I felt the thick needle going through and creaking when touching my bones. I couldn’t do anything alone anymore. Because I was so thin I needed help to have a bath and I could only move about on a wheelchair. I would frequently vomit and pass blood. Doctors declared me terminally ill and told my mum that could die at anytime.

The Fight For Life

My mum was desperate to find a solution. She asked everywhere but the only answers she got were: “This is a test from God.” “You have to go through this.” “It is an impossible case.” “There’s no solution for your son.” But inside her, she didn’t accept it. This is how she came to the UCKG. There, she made a Chain of Prayer for my health and it awakened a faith inside her that helped her continue believing that I could beat this disease.

The Request

After two months in the church, my mum invited a pastor to visit me at the hospital and he brought me a word of faith. He asked me what I wanted and I said, “I want to leave this place. I want to go home to play football.” He then said, “When you are alone, you are going to close eyes and tell God everything you told me.”

That night, I did everything he said. The next day I was able to sit up in my bed. I didn’t need a catheter; usually I would urinate in glass containers so that doctors could analyse it. I needed to because of the blood clots. Most of the times it came out dark, almost full of blood. That day I also had the urge to urinate many times - something that never happened before. When I was preparing another glass container, it was as if I heard my own prayer whispered back at me, and a still voice saying: “I heard.” I cried out of joy.

When my mum came to visit, I told her, “Mum, I don’t have that (the cancer) anymore.” That day my mum asked for more tests to be done and all of them confirmed that I was normal.

Out of the 36 children who were on the same ward. He was the only one who survived.

Quality Of Life

This happened 20 years ago. Back then I was a child who simply wanted to go home and not be sick. I didn’t realise the greatness of God and the amazing thing He did for me. I’m here to tell my story and confirm that I have never had a health problem again. I play sports that demand good physical health like diving parachuting, biking, running, biathlon... I have an active life and I work normally. Miracles do happen. My life is evidence of that!”

Adriano Campos