EVERYDAY BLESSINGS

It’s not hard to figure out that the odds were stacked against Rachael Sands and James Thiemann.

By all accounts, Thiemann should not be on this earth, let alone married to his wife and now the two sharing a family together.

In 2011, Thiemann was given less than 1% chance of living after he went into cardiac arrest at the age of 25. Doctors thought he would never be able to talk or sit up on his own again. The cardiac arrest landed him in a wheelchair, but he has still found a way to walk with some assistance at the Twin Cities Heart Walk for several years.

From their Bloomington home, Sands, who grew up in Owatonna, shows unconditional love for her husband and their 2-year-old daughter, Gracey. It’s a house filled with everyday blessings, which has become the family’s slogan in how they live out their lives as well as the name of a children’s book they have authored.

Thiemann’s miraculous recovery has led them to stop and appreciate their lives and help others along the way. Throughout their incredible journey, they recognized the value that Everyday Blessings had and is something they have learned to never take for granted.

“We just have this heart of gratitude… appreciation of simple things in life,” said Sands, a 2005 graduate of Owatonna High School. She was a cheerleader for the state champion wrestling team in 2005.

Texas beginnings

While both Thiemann and Sands are from Minnesota and attended different colleges (she at Moorhead State and he at St. Cloud State), they didn’t meet until 2010 when they were both in Texas. They were student teachers and attended weekly teacher meetings together. Their first date ended up while they were going to church.

Sands still laughs about his pick-up line before they officially began dating.

“How about that hotdish, I hear you are from Minnesota,” Thiemann told Sands. It later became a part of their wedding vows, Sands said.

“James is a very charismatic guy,” she says with fondness. “He can walk into a room and be very compassionate for other people. He always wanted to go on adventures.”

One of their adventures took them on a mission trip, which sparked both of their interests in traveling.

They returned to Minnesota where Thiemann became a high school English and speech teacher and coached basketball in Howard Lake.

Unwitnessed cardiac arrest

What started out as a typical run in July 2011 by a man who appeared to be healthy ended with Thiemann collapsing and nearly dying.

While running alone, Thiemann suffered a sudden cardiac arrest caused by low electrolytes in his system. He was born with a congenital heart condition, though that was not believed to have caused his cardiac arrest.

A local passerby called 911, a firefighter performed life-saving CPR, and Thiemann was rushed to HCMC in Minneapolis. Doctors told the family he had less than 1% chance of surviving. According to the American Heart Association, more than 420,000 people suffer cardiac arrests outside the hospital each year, and without bystander-administered CPR, the chances of survival are less than 10%.

“I dropped to the ground and was in tears,” Sands said upon learning what happened to Thiemann. After rushing to the hospital, she was by his side the entire time.

For nearly six months, Thiemann was in a coma at HCMC and Regency hospitals. He sustained severe brain connection failure. Doctors said he was blind, paralyzed and would not be able to breathe independently. His heart function was at 9%. He was diagnosed with heart failure. He also had a collapsed lung and was being kept alive with feeding tubes.

Sands knew miracles happen and she wasn’t about to doubt her then-boyfriend would be a part of a miracle. “I knew we were going to be healed. The foundation of faith is in my heart,” she said. “Miracles happen, I never wavered from that.”

But the hard work was only beginning.

When Thiemann woke up and came out of coma, he was transferred to the Brain Rehabilitation and Neurology floor at Bethesda Hospital where he spent another six months. He was determined and had the support of friends and family, especially his fiancé Sands. He also leaned hard on his faith.

“There were many nights of praying, crying and getting frustrated with the daily doctor visits and therapy appointments, but faith brought us through all obstacles,” said Sands. “We have found the joy in being thankful for everything we have in life. Every day is a blessing.”

Slowly, Thiemann has bounced back. His brain waves began to refire. After three pacemaker surgeries and multiple doctor’s appointments, he’s off the heart failure slope with his heart functioning at 60% ejection fracture.

Persistence and a constant attitude of gratitude has undoubtedly played a key role in his long recovery. When asked by his therapist to write a four-word sentence, he wrote, “I love my life.”

Thiemann learned to breathe on his own, stand on his own, walk 100 feet with the assistance of another person and comprehend what was being said. He began outpatient therapy at Courage Center in Golden Valley where he has made enormous strides.

“He’s a medical miracle. We want to transfer the hope to others,” Sands said, while turning to Thiemann and quickly saying, “I love you so much.”

Since his cardiac arrest, Thiemann’s story has been shared across the nation through media as well as the American Heart Association.

A forever love story

When Sands and Thiemann met, it was love at first sight. And they didn’t let a near-death experience get in the way.

They lived together in a group home in Golden Valley for five years.

After being engaged for five years, the couple was married In 2016. Thiemann’s physical therapist walked him down the aisle at the wedding.

“I was most excited to see him walk down the aisle because it’s a piece of our love story,” said Sands. “What an accomplishment not only for our relationship, but just standing strong together. That’s what we do every day.”

Even before they exchanged vows, the couple already conquered the “in sickness and in health” part of their relationship. Despite the obstacles they have faced, they have grown closer and fallen more deeply in love.

She attributes their love story to having faith as their foundation. “If we didn’t have strong faith, it wouldn’t have lasted,” Sands said, noting their faith had been strong even before Thiemann’s cardiac arrest.

Their first home came along in 2017 when it was converted to be handicapped-accessible.

In 2021, their daughter Gracey was born. Sands calls Thiemann “an amazing dad,” who reads books to Gracey every day.

Thiemann enjoys playing the European-style Tea Time game with his daughter, who lines up all her stuffed animals and pours water and biscuits for them with dad helping out.

In addition to raising their daughter, Thiemann volunteers at a thrift store in Bloomington where 100% of the proceeds go back to families with disabilities.

Thiemann also finds himself busy with household chores, including laundry. He continues therapy at Courage Center twice a week.

“He doesn’t allow the wheelchair to not let him do what he wants to do,” Sands said, who works at a nearby daycare center. “I call him my love, and Gracey is our little love.”

For the past 10 years, Sands and Thiemann have been participating in the Twin Cities Heart Walk where they share their remarkable story. They started in small increments of a city block at a time and now are going five blocks. This past year they walked hand-in-hand with their daughter across the finish line where they were met with cheers, bells and other noise.

“This is a huge part of his recovery,” Sands said of the heart walk.

Next November the family plans to travel to Florida where they will add Tampa’s heart walk to their activities.

“We are traveling with a purpose and sprinkling our love around the world,” she said.

Everyday Blessings

Their journey has pushed them to author a children’s book, “Everyday Blessings.” The book follows the journey of a child as she discovers some of life’s most important everyday blessings― love, gratitude, joy, and courage among them.

They encourage readers to follow along and make note of their own daily blessings by jotting them down, drawing a picture, or snapping a photo each day and saving them in the pockets created in the beautifully illustrated, loving book.

“In your pockets you will find blessings of all kinds,” Sands said. “You may use them everyday to make a difference and to find your way. Great things will come to those who mind, a heart of gratitude for all kinds.  

An excerpt from the book: “Always remember that the blessing of adventure awaits, so open your sails and fish with lots of bait. The mountains you can climb and the paths you can take—a life full of adventure is truly yours to make.”

Sands is concerned about the way society has become in recent years. “We are losing sight of the simple blessings like kindness in life,” she said. She added they hope their book effort will “plant seeds for the next generation.”

They have been promoting their book at various shows, craft fairs, Farmer’s Markets and other events throughout the region, including Owatonna. They will be a Rustic Mama’s spring show next year.

Sands said the book became an inspiration to leave a legacy for their young daughter. In the future, they would like to partner with other children’s book authors.

“Creating a little legacy and a continued give back for children around the world within one little book,” she said, noting they are donating the proceeds from the $17.95 cost of the book to Feed My Starving Children, a Twin Cities nonprofit organization that packs meals for the malnourished in 70 countries. One book blesses a child with 45 meals.

“It makes my heart so happy,” Sands says of donating to FMSC. “I feel I’m working toward a purpose.”

Prior to his cardiac arrest, Thiemann touched hundreds of lives, and now, Sands said, “He has touched thousands of lives. That is a miracle in of itself.”

Donating to FMSC became an easy choice after she saw “the bloated bellies” of malnourished children and poverty while on a mission trip to Africa in 2008. “That changes your life,” she said.

“I couldn’t walk away from an incredible story to touch the world,” Sands said. “I want to spread joy in this world. I feel it’s my purpose driven life.”

Sands said she is incredibly grateful.

“I’ve seen other families lose lives, and here we have been gifted a life,” she says. “He is thankful to be alive. It’s a blessing to have each other.”

She considers herself a humble person.

“I’ve learned to live in moderation and serve in a larger capacity. We like to live simple so we can save up and live for a purpose.”
 

A Miraculous Recovery

• 2010: Rachael Sands (formerly of Owatonna) meets James Thiemannn in Texas

• July 2011: Thiemann collapses while running and goes into cardiac arrest; he is given less than 1% chance of surviving

• 2011-2012: Intense recovery and therapy at HCMC, Bethesda Hospital and Courage Center

• 2013: They participate in their first American Heart Association Twin Cities Heart Walk

• 2016: Sands and Thiemann are married

• 2021: Daughter Gracey is born

• 2022: Family launches children’s book, “Everyday Blessings”

Everyday Blessings Book

• Authored by Rachael Sands and James Thiemann

• Published by Beaver’s Pond Press- St. Paul

• Available on Amazon for $17.95

• All proceeds go to Feed My Starving Children

• Family will be at Rustic Mama’s in Owatonna next spring