Testimony of Jimmy White

In 1964 while living in Buffalo, New York I went to work for Spalding Fiber, where among other things we made various gears of which a great portion were made of fiberglass. For several months I worked on a drill press drilling the holes in all types of parts. We had to work in short sleeve shirts for safety purposes, and even though there were individual vacuums above each drill, a lot of dust would still get on your hands and arms. This of course would irritate your skin and make you itch. Most people could wash it off with cold water and the itching would stop, the rest were usually out of it a short time and would be fine. However, there are a few like myself of whom I will tell you about in this story.

When I filled out my application there was one question that asked if you were allergic to anything. One of the items mentioned was fiberglass. I had never worked around it so to my knowledge I had none.  I had no idea of the problems I was headed for. After a few weeks of working on the drill press my hands and arms began to become quite irritated and itch. In the weeks and months ahead it began to spread until my face and head, chest and legs, and even my feet began to itch. I went to the medical station at work and they sent me to the company doctor. He would put me under some kind of purple light and gave me salve to put on the irritated skin—but all of this was futile.

Our first child, a son, Todd was on the way at this time so I continued to work so we would not lose our insurance, and new employment was hard to find at that time. I had been at the plant for 12 to 14 months when I finally was able to land another job.  I did continue to go to the doctor; however this was to no avail. My condition continued to get worse even though I no longer worked in the fiberglass.

About 10 months after leaving this job we moved to Detroit, Michigan where I had obtained a job. Because of this physical condition which was getting worse I found a specialist and started seeing him. By this time I was getting less and less sleep, as I would wake up in the night scratching to the point that I began to develop open sores. I was put on several different special diets, one of which I was allowed only 5 things to eat - Duck, Lamb, Rice, Sugar and water. After several weeks of this diet, which did nothing to help me, the Doctor decided to try a series of skin allergy tests which again led to no answers.

While in Michigan our first daughter, Robyne was born. She was born with very fine hair which would irritate my skin to no end if I held her close to my body due to the open sores.  By this time the sores were getting to the place that I was scratching so much that they became open, running sores. Of course this was not pleasant to the eye for other people to look at, let alone how I felt. 

My strength was beginning to fade as I was not getting proper rest. This was about 2 years along at this point. I would make myself get up in the morning, put all of my energy into making it through the day at work, then come home at night and collapse on the couch, not having much strength or energy left to do things around our home that I needed to do.

We were attending Mamre Assembly of God, (now called New Hope) in Melvindale, Michigan. I was the youth and choir director for part of the time we were there, and although my energy and strength were constantly decreasing, God was faithful to His word and kept me going. 

Around this time I was told that if I would go to a warm, humid climate it might help my condition. So in desperation we sold our mobile home, packed up, and moved to New Orleans, Louisiana. The company that I was working for agreed to transfer me to their branch office in that area. As soon as we arrived, I went to check in for work, but when I got there I was informed that they had filled the position a couple of days earlier, thus leaving no employment for me. It was very difficult for me to go looking for a new job because of my waning strength. I was only getting about 3 to 4 hours of sleep in a 24 hour period at this point and even that was broken up in small segments. My appearance didn’t help either because I was starting to look like a leper from the open running sores.

The Lord was very gracious to me and in a few days I was able to obtain another job. Although the pay was very low, when you have a family you take what you can get and I was very grateful for it. In a few months the Lord helped me to obtain a better paying job and we were able to get back on our feet.

During this time I sought out another specialist who tried more unsuccessful remedies. One was soaking in a bathtub full of cold oatmeal every day.  When you’re as desperate as I was, you will try ANYTHING! 

There were still no results so the doctor sent me to a medical school in New Orleans where I was experimented on once again and then to another specialist. After a few weeks with this doctor I began to get some relief from a shot that I was receiving once a week which caused the itching to lessen in intensity. I was ever so grateful for this relief. When I went in to get my shot on the seventh time the doctor told me that he could not give me any more. I knew my insurance was still good and he told me he had been giving me narcotics and that I would be addicted if he continued. Within 4 days I was back in the same condition and became very discouraged and depressed due to thinking that the temporary relief I had received was going to be permanent.

While in church one Sunday morning a few weeks later I was reaching the end of my rope. I knew that God could heal me and I had been prayed for many times, but for whatever reason, I continued to get worse. Satan tried to take my life three times but God had other plans. That morning I remember praying simply but meaning every word of it, “Lord, please heal me or kill me.” It wasn't suicidal; I was just at the end of my rope. Again, nothing happened. As we were going home that morning a couple of miles from church, I had an instant breakdown and began to shake and cry uncontrollably and was unable to do anything. We were only going about 35 miles per hour and my wife grabbed the wheel from me and managed to get the car stopped, and then drove us on home. From this point on I would have these spells several times a week, sometimes not so bad and other times very bad, but gradually I learned to control them to some degree.

During this time I would wake up in the night during my short times of sleep gasping for air. It felt as though someone was choking me even though nothing was touching my throat. Being taught over the years there was power in the Name of Jesus, I would struggle to say His Name.  All I could get out at first was J, then Je - Je - Jes - Jes - and finally Jesus and then I was released and could breathe. This would happen two or three times a week for several weeks and finally Satan quit attacking me in this way.

After being in New Orleans for about a year and a half, we took a trip to Washington State to visit my parents. On our return trip just north of Medford, Oregon traveling about 70 mph on the freeway I had another major breakdown. The Lord was gracious to my family once again, by giving me the strength to hold it together long enough to get the car stopped on the side of the road, where I was unable to control myself once again. My wife drove us on into Medford and into a motel and after a few days rest she drove us on to Rosemead, California, with the help of a friend, Don Varga from our youth choir at Mamre who was with us, to my adopted parents, Steve and Ida Andrews. At this time I seemed to lose all control when people would talk to me and I would begin to shake and sob uncontrollably. After spending 2 or 3 weeks there I began to settle down but the shaking spells became quite frequent and with no warning.

When I was able to travel again, we were encouraged to go back to Portland, Oregon and get plugged into a church called Bible Temple, now City Bible Church. They were wonderful in helping us get back on our feet, helping us get into a house, furniture, dishes, linens, etc. My appearance at this time was so bad no one would hire me. Finally someone gave me a kid’s morning paper route only because I had to be done by 5:00 am and no one would see me. This job at least paid rent, utilities and gas but we had to go on welfare for food, etc. which was very hard on my pride.

I then went to another specialist, at the medical school in Portland and then finally to the VA hospital. The doctors there put me through all of the previous tests again but turned up nothing new. They had me use 1% Cortisone to try to ease the itching. I would use about 1 pound a week but this relief would only last about an hour or so. The final conclusion was that my pours in my skin were very open and the fiberglass dust went through my pours into my blood stream. I was told to drink honey and vinegar in water 3 times a day (horrible tasting) to purify my blood. I did this for several months but it made no change in my condition. Due to the foreign matter (fiberglass) in my blood, the doctors considered a complete blood transfusion, however decided against it because there were tiny fiberglass pieces stuck in my veins and the transfusion would do nothing to eliminate them. The final conclusion was that there was nothing more they could do for me and I would just have to learn to live with the situation as best I could. By this time I was feeling so discouraged that I didn’t really feel like going on.

About this time our third child was born, a daughter.  By the time she was a few weeks old we realized that something was wrong as her whole right side was stiff, her right hand was a clenched fist and cold all the time and her right eye drooped. When she was 9 months old she came down with pneumonia and was put in the hospital. At that time we were told that she had brain damage and to be thankful for anything that she was able to do. The doctors told us she would never walk, talk or do much of anything. We found out when she was 6 years old by way of a brain scan that she did not have brain damage but rather had 1/3 of the left side of her brain totally missing.

At the time Kyme was in the hospital, our church, Bible Temple, (City Bible), was having a week of prophetic services. Kyme was able to come home the next to the last night of the meetings so I asked our pastor, Dick Iverson, if she could be prayed for by the prophetic team after the last night of meetings. He said of course. After the service I took her down front and hands were laid on her and she was prayed for. I was not prayed for at this time as this was a time for Kyme. She showed no change and we went on home and went to bed. After sleeping for several hours, my wife woke up and realized that the bed was not shaking as was the norm because of my constant scratching. She assumed that I was getting my usual 10 to 15 minutes of rest before I would start the bed shaking again with my scratching. She lay awake for 1 to 2 hours - thinking I was dead because I was not moving. She finally got enough nerve to poke me and I woke up. I had been sleeping for about 4 solid hours, for the first time in many years. The next night I slept for 8 straight hours and have never had problems sleeping since that time. The itching stopped that night even though it took several months for my skin to heal and clear up, and I wasn’t even prayed for that night.

Why did the Lord choose to heal me that night and not before? I don’t know, and it really doesn’t matter but what I do know is that I am healed and have remained so for the last 33 years. I have some indentations in various parts of my body where the sores were so deep and some patchy places where hair no longer grows, but these are just daily reminders of God’s miracle healing power and grace to me.

I'm still like you, I have my problems and my challenges, but this one thing I can tell you and no one can ever take it away from me. My God is faithful and still works miracles in the 21st century. Whatever your need is, I know God is there for you as well so keep believing and your day will come as did mine.

Footnote:  We had a third daughter, Amber, born to us on the first Washington for Jesus day, April 29, 1980.

Also the next morning after Kyme was prayed for, we were riding in the car, when we noticed Kyme’s right hand was open and warm for the first time since she was born.  She has accomplished many things we were told she could never do, including finish high school with honors and a partial scholarship.  She serves God with her whole heart and if you were to meet her today you would see that she walks and talks just like any other lady.  Thank you my faithful God for always being there for me!

Jimmy White lives in Citrus Heights, California.  He operates his own businesses, Center Services Printing and Treasures Unlimited, a business dealing with various products.  As well as his 4 children, he keeps busy with his 5 grandsons and 3 granddaughters.  He has been involved with Full Gospel Business Men since 1965 and is currently a member of the Citrus Heights chapter of BMFI where he is treasurer.  He attends Living Way Community Church in Roseville, California where he plays tenor saxophone in the orchestra, is a Life Group leader, and works with the Golden Pillars of his church.  Jimmy may be contacted at P.O. Box 2250, Citrus Heights, California 95611 or at (916) 726-2409.

Volume 14, Issue 1