Grace College freshman, Cassie Harris, had an opportunity to thank several benefactors this week and the event was recounted in the Times-Union, the daily newspaper in Warsaw, Ind. A local businessman and his wife paid for the expenses for a local police officer and friend of the family to travel to see Cassie following surgery in 2005. A portion of the story appears below. Read the complete story here. (Subscription may be required.)

Prayer And Thanks Bring Grace Freshman Full Circle

WINONA LAKE – Life came full circle Monday afternoon, providing an opportunity for a Grace College freshman to thank Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller for answering her prayers almost nine years ago.

Cassie Harris, 24, of Alaska, was born with cerebral palsy. She had seizures ever since she was little. In 2001, she was diagnosed with epilepsy.

Until she was 9 years old, Harris and her family lived in Warsaw. She attended Madison Elementary School, and that’s where she met Warsaw Police Dept. DARE Officer Terry “OP” Polston.  … In August 2005, Harris went in the hospital in Washington to have brain surgery. It was the first of three surgeries she would eventually undergo. She stayed in the hospital 3-1/2 weeks, though she was supposed to be there 10 days. The surgeons couldn’t find out where to do the brain surgery.

Harris was having up to 75 seizures a day, she said. The steroids were causing her body to “Hulk” up, she said. She asked Terry if he could come see her. He told her to pray about it, so she did.

The Millers found out about Harris’s request and anonymously donated the flight, accommodations and other expenses for Terry to make the trip. A television newscaster later revealed to Harris who the benefactors were.

On Aug. 14, 2005, Terry got to visit and surprise Harris in the hospital. She had her brain surgery Aug. 16, and her birthday the following day.

Read the complete story here. (Subscription may be required.)