Woman’s condition improves after 14 prayer vigils

Feeling helpless and not knowing what to do, a group of people turned to prayer in an effort to help a woman overcome COVID-19.
And it appears to have worked.
On Dec. 23, about 20 people gathered in the parking lot of Owatonna hospital where they prayed and sang Christmas carols for Nan Wandrey, who has been hospitalized with COVID-19. Three days later, Wandrey’s family reported her condition had improved, though she is still hospitalized.
“The power of God is just amazing,” said Tara Choudek, one of the prayer warriors and a friend of Wandreys. “You can survive anything if you have God beside you.”
Included in the prayer vigil was a mixture of all ages from kids to senior citizens as well as pastors from two area churches: Rev. Mark Biebighauser of Trinity Lutheran in Medford and Rev. Kirk Griebel of Redeemer Lutheran in Owatonna.
Wandrey, 62, was initially hospitalized in Owatonna before being transferred to Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis where she was hooked up to a BiPap, which is a device to help with breathing. Choudek said Wandrey was close to needing a ventilator, but that was avoided when she suddenly got better on Dec. 26.
“It was looking pretty rough for Nan. She was in a pretty grave situation,” said Choudek, who has known Wandrey for many years. She added this was the second time Wandrey has battled COVID-19.
Choudek shared about another friend of Wandrey’s who was in the hospital at the same time. Just when everyone thought the friend was doing better than Wandrey, she died from COVID on Dec. 22.
Wandrey, who has experienced damage to her lungs, will be going to rehab for a while to get stronger. 
Several of Wandrey’s family members have battled COVID in the past month, including her 95-year-old father, Verlyn Cornelius, who was battling pneumonia on top of COVID. He has since recovered.
“It’s like when you don’t know what else to do, pray,” Choudek said. “It didn’t hurt, that’s for sure.”
Wandrey retired from the state corrections facility in Faribault earlier last year. She and Cornelius are active with the VFW in Owatonna, Choudek said. He is a World War II veteran.
The Dec. 23 vigil was the last in a stretch of 14 days of prayer. All of the vigils took place outside the Owatonna hospital except for one on Dec. 22 when Choudek and a few others went to a park outside Abbott in Minneapolis for a vigil.
“We were praying and hoping,” Choudek said. “With COVID, there is not much you can do. It was 14 days of flattening the curve and a way for us to be present with our friend and others who need healing.”
The prayer warriors also prayed for all the front-line workers who have been dealing with COVID for nearly two years.
Choudek said they don’t have any plans to continue the prayer vigils. But, she quickly added, “If anybody asks, we’ll be there.”