“God is real”

Catching up with TCS Alumni Natalya Manhertz

By Samantha DePriest

It is always a pleasure to catch up with our students after they graduate. Spending time with Class of ‘24 Alumni Natalya Manhertz truly reminds you of the goodness of God. In May of 2023, Natalya was experiencing symptoms of sepsis that caused her to be life flighted to the emergency room at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Over the next 100 days, Natalya fought for her life in the ICU. She underwent numerous surgeries to remove parts of both her arms and her legs and spent weeks in physical therapy.

Meanwhile her dear friends and loving, prayerful community back home worked hard to prepare a beautiful and accessible space for her return home to. Natalya shared how much her family and friends have meant to her and have been there every step of this difficult journey.

While this type of life changing event may stop someone in their tracks, it didn’t hold Natalya back from returning to school, attending her senior prom, and crossing the stage at graduation with her class in May of 2024.

After graduation, the news channel 11Alive in Atlanta reached out and asked to share her story. They spent time interviewing her, her family and friends, and nursing care team to learn more about her journey. Natalya’s positive attitude and gratitude was and continues to be evident. She shares, “I am so thankful that I survived. I do have breakdown moments of asking God ‘why me?’ and sometimes I don’t understand why this happened to me, but I trust that God has a plan.” Natalya’s 30 minute documentary will air on 11Alive this coming December.

Summer can often be a time for students to rest but Natalya has kept busy. The clothing company Anthrolopology reached out to her about her participation in a campaign for adaptive clothing. They sent her a box of beautiful new clothes to try on. Her friend and classmate Braelin Patterson took pictures of her in the outfits and sent them back to Anthropology and Natalya was even able to keep the clothes. She has also been in conversations with local companies about possible job opportunities as well in between her weekly doctors appointments with her care team. There is no slowing Natalya down, that is one thing that is for sure.ne

Just yesterday Natalya was able to try on her new prosthetic legs for the first time. She chuckled as she shared, “It was the weirdest thing ever to stand up. It’s been over a year since I have and I wondered if was I ever this tall?” Adjustments need to still be made to the prosthetics and she still is doing physical therapy as she awaits them but she is looking forward to more independence. She is also eagerly anticipating getting a car one day with modifications so that she may return to driving. The hospital provides a course for patients who have undergone amputations to assist in returning them to driving. Natalya shared that the first place she will go when she can start driving again is most likely to surprise her dear friends at their homes.

Lovingly, Natalya shared how her friends have stuck by her side. She said they told her. “Even though you look different, your personality is exactly the same and we love you.” Natalya shared how she teaches them how to fold up her wheelchair and put in their car. Her friends take her out to lunch, to the movies, shopping, and even to graduation parties over the summer. One of Natalya’s dear friends, Sarabeth Odom, and her family even made a ramp for her to get into her house for her grad party so she wouldn’t miss a thing. Natalya had tremendous support in the community and shares that “without the amount of prayers, I wouldn’t have made it.” She recalls the “Smile-a-grams” friends and strangers in the community sent to her hospital room at CHOA and how she read every one of them. One stuck out in her mind that read, “Our little lion is in 3rd grade and before dinner every night we pray for you.”  

Natalya’s friend Sarabeth Odom and her parents shared, “We have been greatly inspired by Nat's perseverance and strength.  Though our countless prayers for her throughout her journey it has strengthened our Faith.  During the darkest hour with little hope, God's healing power shined though.   We have been so thankful to share her story of healing with our small group at church, with friends and with family.  We were so excited that she was able to come to our home for Sarabeth's graduation party.  It gave us the opportunity to introduce her to some of the many friends and our family that had been praying for her for so long.  They too were so inspired by her miraculous story. She is such a blessing to our family's lives by the example she continues to set.  Her kindness, amazing personality and huge smile brings great joy to our lives. We are so thankful that she and Sarabeth are such close friends. Her Mom is amazing as well and sets a great example.  We have been blessed to be able to get to know her better during the past year. We anticipate God using Nat and her story in amazing ways for many years to come and can't wait to she what the future holds for her.”

Natalya has a bright future ahead. She seeks God in all she does and loves sharing her testimony. She is grateful for her Mom and little sister, the nursing team, and her friends for being beside her throughout this chapter. One thing is for sure is that when you spend time with Natalya Manhertz, you know that “God is real.”