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From Returned Missionaries
Dwayne N. Andersen-Excerpts from Autobiography
Tokyo Temple President
Part 26
TRUDY’S MIRACLE As we were involved in the final training and preparation for going to the Tokyo Temple as president and matron, an event occurred which led us into the greatest miracle in our lives. I spent a week training in the Salt Lake Temple. On one occasion I was told to accompany Joseph B. Wirthlin as he performed a celestial marriage (to observe him). It so happened that it was a marriage of one of Russell M. Nelson’s daughters. Elder Wirthlin introduced me as the new president of the Tokyo Temple. As I looked around, I was surprised to find that Brother Nelson’s wife was Danzel White. Her brother and sister were also in the room (Boyd and Beth). They were all at Box Elder High School while I was there. After the wedding, I visited with the members of the White family for a few minutes. I was surprised and pleased when Dr. Nelson came over to greet me and engaged in conversation with me. He seemed very solicitous of me. A little later as we were going to our car in the underground parking lot, a car passed us and then turned around and came back by us and stopped. He wanted to meet Peggy and get better acquainted. His graciousness and courtesy to us were amazing.
While trying to finish up training at Provo Temple, I was told by the church leaders to go to Japan to begin hiring employees for the temple and to check on the progress of the temple construction. Towards the end of my stay in Japan, I received a frantic call from Peggy. She told me that at one of Trudy’s routine pregnancy checkups, her doctor had heard Trudy cough and then decided to get a chest x-ray. She was carrying twins! The x-ray showed a large tumor in her chest. He ordered an immediate operation to get a biopsy of the tumor. The results indicated that the tumor was malignant. Peggy continued her conversation by saying that Trudy’s life was in jeopardy. Then she told me that the cancer specialists in Santa Barbara wanted to abort the twins and explore in her abdomen to see if there was more cancer. At that point, Peggy said that everyone was in turmoil. I immediately left Tokyo for Santa Barbara, where Rick and Peggy picked me up. We went directly to the hospital to see Trudy. Her room was filled with flowers, even more than at a funeral. Trudy was unaware of what was going on and asked why I was there. The doctor took Peggy, Rick, and me aside to explain the options to us. He then added that he strongly wanted to abort the twins and do more exploration in her body. He went so far as to say that her life depended on the abortion. (He had previously informed Rick that if Trudy was not operated on and they let things go, she would be dead in three months!) Rick was strongly opposed to having an abortion.
The next morning was Saturday, and Peggy and I tended to agree with the doctor. Rick said that he wanted an LDS doctor’s opinion. Peggy immediately reflected on my association with Dr. Nelson. I knew that he had performed heart surgery on several general authorities, including President Kimball. This seemed to be the one to consult for a referral. I made a call to Dr. Nelson’s home. His wife said he was on an errand, but she would have him call me back as soon as he came home. (It is important to note that Rick and Trudy had been in contact with their bishop and friend, Ron Williford; and she had received priesthood blessings, in addition to the fact that her entire ward was praying for her.) During the phone call with Dr. Nelson, I explained Trudy’s situation and asked him if he knew any LDS doctor with whom we could consult. He immediately said that he was a thoracic surgeon also and that he would give us an opinion. He instructed me to get the specimen from UCLA cancer laboratory, plus the x-rays from the hospital, and to get them all to him by that night. Rick immediately drove to Los Angeles to get the specimen; and we went to the hospital for x-rays. I was able to get an evening flight from Santa Barbara to Salt Lake airport. Doug was going to meet me, which he did and then drove me to Dr. Nelson’s home. We arrived about ten p.m. Dr. Nelson was waiting and came out to meet us. He had a brown paper bag in his hand. He told us that he had just talked with Trudy’s doctor and had written the details on this bag. He invited us in; and then said he would digest the facts and pray about it. He told me he was meeting with a number of cancer specialists the next morning, on Sunday a.m. He invited me to stay at his home that night and join the meeting; but I told him that I would rather return to my own home for the night. Sunday morning I was up early and rushed to Salt Lake to meet the deadline of eight o’clock. I entered his office at the hospital, but no one was there. In a moment Dr. Nelson appeared and took me into the conference room, with about four other doctors. Dr. Nelson introduced me to the men and then pointed to the man next to him and said: “This is Dr. Smart, who is president of the American Cancer Society.” Then he told me that they had thoroughly examined Trudy’s materials and had come to some conclusions: (1) The tumor is not malignant. (2) It is not necessary to abort the twins. (3) The tumor must be removed immediately. At this point, Dr. Smart said to me, as he pointed to Dr. Nelson: “This is the man to do it!” What a joyous message for me, causing great relief!
I called Rick and Peggy and told them the good news. While I was talking with them, Dr. Nelson was clearing a date for the operating room. I then gave the phone to Dr. Nelson, so he could tell Rick that the operation could be done in one week. He told Rick that Trudy should report to the hospital in Salt Lake on the coming Saturday. Trudy was removed from the Santa Barbara hospital on the following Thursday. The doctors and hospital staff were very vocal about not releasing her from the hospital. That night Rick surprised Trudy with his first temple recommend. She was overjoyed, for she had waited nine years for a temple sealing. Trudy and Rick made a call to Jim Bartlett , who was on a business trip in New York. Trudy and Rick had introduced him to the church. He showed much compassion and offered to help by arranging for his father’s private plane and pilot to fly Trudy and family to Provo Friday morning. I explained this whole situation to a counselor in the Provo Temple presidency; and they were most cooperative. I was surprised when I was told to take over in the temple and do anything necessary for that special endowment session. So I awaited anxiously for Trudy, Peggy and family at the Provo airport Friday a.m. We took Trudy to the older Heaton home, where Valerie was living at the time, to get a little rest from the trip. The endowments were arranged for Friday morning and the sealing for Saturday morning. Trudy was still very weak from the biopsy surgery which had been much more extensive than the doctor had planned, due to excessive blood surrounding the tissues. Allen and Lucile had driven to Provo from their home in Concord, California.
The endowment session was something special, which our family will never forget. Peggy was privileged to perform the initiatory ordinances for Trudy; and I had the opportunity to do the same for Rick. In the session, Doug, our son, was the officiator. I was the male ordinance follower and Peggy was the female follower. Our son, Allen, and his wife, Lucile, were the witness couple; and Valerie, our daughter, was Trudy’s escort. Bob Laird, a close friend of Rick’s from Hawaii, was his escort. I was the voice at the prayer circle, which turned out to be rather an emotional experience for me. Many tears of joy were shed during and after this experience. Before the time of the sealing session on Saturday, a few more friends and family arrived in Provo. Trudy’s bishop and wife had driven through the night from Carpinteria; Jim Bartlett came in from New York; Edward and Margaret, Trudy’s aunt and uncle, had just arrived in town and also attended. The sealing room was overflowing with friends and relatives. There was a special excitement and spirit within the room. I was filled with joy and gratitude to have the privilege of performing this celestial marriage. I was so overcome that I addressed the bride and groom as “Trick and Rudy” which helped to relieve the tense feeling of many there. During the ceremony there were also many tears of gratitude and joy. After the celestial ordinance, many expressed their concern for Trudy’s frail condition. We then took Trudy to Val’s home so she could rest a short while. That afternoon we took Trudy to the LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City. As we approached her room, the nurses were standing there, waiting for her. At the door on the floor was a large bouquet of flowers from the Carpinteria florist, in recognition of all the business they had received from Trudy’s friends while she was in the hospital there! Dr. Russell Nelson performed the surgery on Monday morning. It was more extensive than anticipated and lasted four or five hours. When Dr. Nelson came out to report to us, he was very positive. He said he had accomplished all he wanted–and that Trudy would be all right. Rick wanted Dr. Nelson to guarantee that there was no cancer. Dr. Nelson replied that he did not think there was any more cancer, but he had to wait for the reports of the laboratory. Dr. Nelson said that the tumor was the size of an average grapefruit. We had to leave Trudy in Valerie’s care after that, for we had to go to our assignment at Tokyo Temple. We certainly felt the hand of the Lord in every step of the way as we prepared to leave for Tokyo. This strengthened our faith and testimonies of the greatness and goodness of our Heavenly Father.