Mrs. Homer Hailey
Friends of Brother Homer Hailey, professor of Bible in and vice president of Florida Christian College, will be shocked to learn of the death of his beloved companion on April 27, 1954.
Lois Manly Hailey was born November 19, 1907. On December 20, 1930, she was married to Homer Hailey and to this union three children were born — two boys and one girl. They also have two adopted girls.
It was my pleasure to have known Sister Lois Hailey even before she and Brother Homer Hailey were married. We were classmates in Abilene Christian College for some time. There was perhaps never a finer and more active Christian young girl than was Lois Manly Hailey. She was interested in the activities of the school and was extra good in dramatics, taking part in many of the school plays. She was also greatly interested in the church.
Sometime after she and Brother Hailey were married, Lois showed signs of illness. She desired to be alone and away from crowds and suffered constantly from headaches and nervousness. Brother Hailey took her to every doctor that he thought would be of help to her. However, her health did not improve.
In the spring of 1954, her condition became such that she would lose consciousness for a while. She was taken to the hospital and after careful examinations, the doctors would release her, stating that they were afraid that she had a brain tumor, but could not definitely diagnose her case. On the afternoon of April 27, she went into a coma and died.
An autopsy was performed on her by a group of medical doctors. They report to Brother Hailey as follows:
"It was found that Mrs. Hailey died because of the presence of an extremely rare type of brain tumor. The famous brain surgeon, Cushing, encountered only 11 such cases in his experience of over 2,000 brain tumor cases. I have only been able to find record of one case in which this type of tumor occupied the same part of the brain as in Mrs. Hailey's ease.
"The tumor has been given various names, the most accurate of which is probably the term Epidermoid. It is also known as "pearly" tumor. In her case, the tumor arose from the Choroid Plexus of both lateral and third ventricles of the brain. The third ventricle of the brain lies almost precisely in the middle of the cranial cavity and the extension of the tumor was such as to have made its surgical removal impossible.
"This type of tumor is not cancerous, but because of its location, encroached on vital tissues of the brain. It is an extremely slow growing type of tumor, the origin of which is thought to be certain misplaced cells which have the nature of skin tissue, the faulty development occurring even before birth of the individual. It is not, however, hereditary in any sense of the word, or familial, and more than one case in the family has never been described."
It will be observed that the doctors state that this condition has been developing in her even before birth. This gradual development of brain tumor has been the cause of Sister Hailey's having such ill health over such a long period of time.
For sometime before her death, she had been lapsing into unconsciousness, reviving again and getting along seemingly pretty well. In the report from these medical doctors, there was a statement as follows:
"In the case of such a tumor in such an area, death occurs as a result of a sudden blockage of the spinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain. In retrospect, there can be no doubt that her sudden losses of consciousness were all due to such a stoppage which somehow was released in previous episodes."
Life is to most of us a puzzle. We will never know why that good Christian people have to suffer so long and so seriously. Sister Hailey leaves a rich heritage. She was a good, devoted companion and faithful mother, and is beloved by all who knew her.
Brother Hailey will continue his activities with Florida Christian College and will need the prayers and encouragement of all Christian people.