She's not worried; God's in charge - News Journal, Mansfield, Ohio


By Karen Palmer


Eight years ago, the Rev. Bev Hall had a massive hemorrhagic stroke that left her right side paralyzed. Four months later, in September 1999, she arrived in England in a wheelchair to do Ph.D. research at Oxford Brookes University.

When she left England in May 2001, Rev. Bev -- as she's known to friends -- walked onto the plane carrying her own luggage. With such uncommon resilience and drive, it's not surprising that some six years later the pastor of Chapel Hill United Methodist Church has researched the health problem she faces and found a surgeon in California willing to tackle it.

Moyamoya means "puff of smoke" in Japanese. Moyamoya disease is a rare, progressive disorder caused by blocked arteries at the base of the brain, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. "Puff of smoke" describes the appearance of the tangle of tiny vessels formed to compensate for the blockage.

The diminutive Hall -- she's all of 4 feet, 9 inches -- had a second stroke while she was in England, falling off a ladder while she was cleaning a house. Back in the United States, Hall's frequent headaches and mini strokes (called transient ischaemic attacks) were red flags to a Columbus neurologist. An angiogram confirmed she had moyamoya.

"And I went huh? What is that? What do I have to do?" Hall said. "There's no understanding of what causes the disease. It's just there."

She went online and started researching the illness. The neurologist referred her to brain surgeons and specialists who told her there was too much narrowing of the vessels to treat her.

"I just left it sit until around Christmas time this year, and I stumbled across this Stanford Web site ... and I looked up the doctor and contacted him and the rest is history," she said.

"He sent me a letter that said 'we can do this -- you're a good candidate for this surgery,' so I'm going."

For the surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, the pastor's hair will be shaved over the temporal lobe, part of her skull will be removed and a portion of artery removed from her scalp. The artery will be grafted to one in her brain, and the skull re-attached. A week later, she'll have the same surgery on the other side of her head. Stanford doctors have performed hundreds of the procedures, called STA-MCA grafts.

Jackie Bollinger, one of the pastor's parishioners, will accompany her since Hall's husband, Gerald, can't get off work. He is a computer analyst in Columbus who does government security clearances and an Air Force Reservist.

People ask Hall why she doesn't take early retirement or disability. That's not an option.

"I want to do what God has called me to do for as long as I can," she said, noting the illness has strengthened her faith.

"I realize that the doctors and all medical science really aren't in charge. It's God who's in charge."

Dr. Gary Steinberg, who will perform Hall's surgery, told her without the operation she would probably have another stroke within a year and likely would not survive.

"God's timing is absolutely perfect," Hall said, with one of her frequent gentle smiles.

The 53-year-old Youngstown native intended to be an astronomy professor and had a full scholarship in physics at Youngstown State University. After the first year of studies, she realized she was in the wrong field.

She earned a degree in religious studies, worked 121⁄2 years in Christian education at Youngstown area churches, then enrolled at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, Ohio. She earned two master's degrees and served three small churches in the Mount Vernon area.

Hall was pastor of Coalburg United Methodist in Hubbard six years, then had her first stroke and went to England to do doctoral research on the women who followed John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Back in the States, she was appointed to serve Marengo UMC five years. In 2005 she received her doctor of ministry degree at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. She's been at Chapel Hill since July.

Hall also has a clown ministry -- her Christian clown name is Butterfly -- and a puppet ministry. She has two daughters: Courtney Valentino, 29, of Campbell and Amber Valentino, 25, who's working on her Ph.D. at Xavier University.

Facing surgery at the other end of the country and weeks of convalescence, the Methodist minister draws on her foundation of faith.

"You have that hope that is deep within that everything will be fine, but you have to prepare for whatever might happen," Hall said. "If God calls me home then it's God's timing. It's like the apostle Paul said, if I'm here with you in the flesh or I'm in heaven, it's OK."

All,
    I met Beverly and Jackie while I was out at Stanford for my own surgery.  I first met her at the Moyamoya annual picnic on May 12, and again on May 14.  I was waiting for my first consultation with Dr. Steinberg and she was getting her staples removed and having her final post-surgery consult before flying back to Ohio the next day. 
    At the picnic she was pointed out to me as Dr. S's latest surgical patient.  So I introduced myself to her as Dr. S's NEXT surgical patient.  She was the one recovering yet she was holding my hand and giving me a consolatory hug.  She was having some post surgery speech issues, which was a little frightening to me.  I know I was anxious but she wouldn't let me go until she could speak a little better.  As we stood there talking, I swear, she simply willed her speech back to show me there was little to worry about. 
    Beverly really is a dynamic individual; I liked her from the start.  And she has come through both surgeries well and is on her way to recovery.  I hope our paths cross again someday. 

Carol Mae