There was once a woman who DID NOT want to die.  Nearly every Sunday she attended her Protestant church, but her real faith was founded upon science.  “Science will find a way,” she was famously quoted as saying about world and human problems.

One day it was determined that she had an aneurysm on a vein near her heart.  Sooner or later the aneurysm would burst, bringing instant death.  Rather than die, she elected to undergo a second open-heart surgery.

Her faith was well-founded.  She successfully came through the surgery, but four days later suffered a massive stroke.  Two months later her lot in life was to sit all day in a chair unable to speak or communicate or to use her right side.  She was unable to perform the most simple tasks like feeding herself, dressing herself, changing her diaper, going to the bathroom, or reading.  Supposedly her mind was working, but there was no way for anyone to tell for sure.

And so she sat, perhaps contemplating the marvels of science which had fixed her heart so that it could continue beating for years to come.  Science had saved her from the fate she had so dreaded.

Postscript:  An amazing thing has happened with this woman.  It has been nearly two years since her medical emergency.  Formerly, she was contentious, and hard to get along with.  Her temper was famous.  She was not pleasant to be around.  Since being confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak, she has become very decidedly happy.  She is a new person.  The operation was a good thing.