Candace McLean

Joan Luise Hill, Katie Mahon, Meb Phillips

The Miracle Chase

Do You Believe in Miracles?

“What would make three women set off in search of the Holy Grail? I hope you believe me when I tell you that it was a miracle — three miracles, to be exact.” So begins the story of Joan Luise Hill, Katie Mahon, and Mary Beth Phillips, who turn a simple friendship into a spiritual odyssey when one of them faces sudden tragedy.

Meeting for coffee one morning, they discover that each has an extraordinary story to tell. Katie has been haunted by an escape from serial killer Ted Bundy. Meb’s six-month-old daughter has been shaken by a neighbor’s nanny and irreversibly blinded, but somehow survived and thrived. And, in the event that brought them together, they all witnessed Joan’s son survive a catastrophic illness. Were these experiences miracles? The three friends begin a journey to find out, and the Miracle Chase is on.

Over the course of a decade, the trio seeks out the views of philosophers, statesmen, and scientists; delves into the traditions of the tribal and the great religious faiths; examines their own personal experiences as well as those of the friends they meet along the way; and even occasionally embarks on a real chase—to Fairfax, California; Hingham, Massachusetts; and Chimayo, New Mexico, searching for meaning in the remarkable events they experienced.

Website

www.themiraclechase.com

About Joan Luise Hill:

I was lucky and I knew it! When doctors at major medical centers on both the east and west coasts confirm they have never seen this cardiac abnormality on a live person – and they are talking about your son – you are forced to pay attention. Put that together with two friends, one of them whose daughter was blinded by the babysitter and who has changed child care in California and the other who was rescued from Death by Bundy and there you have it: 3 Women, 3 Miracles.

Desperate to understand and to dispel the ‘why me,’ we set off investigating miracles in science, philosophy, and a myriad of religions – all the while trying to understand what had occurred in our own lives. Over the years, The Miracle Chase became far more than a book, reflecting not only real life and real miracles – it became a tool for our very survival. As we shared the intensity of a husband’s escape from death, a diagnosis of cancer and the dissolution of a marriage, we also shared our faith; ultimately it was our friendship and our hope for the future that sustained us.

Joan has spent more than twenty-five years in the health care industry. She has been on the board of numerous health care and educational institutions and commended by state and local governments for advancing the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and for her work in inner-city Catholic education. She lives in Pebble Beach, California.

About Katie Mahon:

On a winter night in 1989, a newspaper article about the execution of serial killer Ted Bundy changed my life. I could no longer run away from circumstances that I had tried hard to rationalize or from the religion of my childhood that I had tried hard to ignore. Many more years would pass before I discover that my two friends, Meb and Joan, had extraordinary stories to share as well. Together we found the courage to embark on what would become a ten-year spiritual odyssey. The Miracle Chase became a journey of Faith, a journey of Friendship and a journey of Survival.

Katie has been a leader in nonprofit initiatives that support women’s health and quality education for children. She is a three time past president of the San Francisco Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, an organization that she helped take from a grass roots movement to a million dollar organization reaching thousands of underserved women across the Bay Area. After years of being a Californian, Katie now lives in New York City.

About Mary Beth (Meb) Phillips:

Being an advocate is a journey, not a destination. I always believed in miracles, but I became an advocate for miracles when my baby daughter survived an unspeakable act of violence and not only lived, but thrived. I trust in the way God’s miracles continue to move outward in ever-widening circles, touching shores we cannot imagine. I see how God continues to give us miracle signposts – “signs and wonders”- that speak to us, His creation, pointing us toward Him. This book is absolutely part of my miracle journey. For me, writing is a way that I can express that softer spiritual side of me that my job and the challenges of raising children didn’t always bring out. Writing this book with Joan and Katie is like being a part of an ongoing prayer. I think if we can inspire and help others appreciate how miracles speak to each one of us, then we have helped to create another small miracle ripple from the joining of our miracles. And the thought of all the miracles and their unfolding through time, wave upon wave, gives me hope. Miracles are gifts freely given and I want to say “thank you” and give something back.

Meb is an advocate for children and families. She was the “mother” of the groundbreaking California Trustline Registry, legislation that impacted childcare in California and the nation. She has been recognized for her contributions to quality child care, disability rights and education. Meb speaks regularly at conferences, on local and national television, including the Oprah Winfrey Show, and has been featured in national magazine articles. She lives in Walnut Creek, California.