(ChurchLeaders) Author and ministry leader Joni Eareckson Tada has the coronavirus. Tada, who is in the high-risk category due to her disability and her age, tested positive for the virus, her organization, Joni and Friends, announced on Monday.
“Although this is just the beginning of the road to recovery, her spirits are bright and with treatment she is showing improvement!” an announcement posted to Facebook reads.
Tada, 71, is quadriplegic. She was paralyzed from the shoulder down when she was just 17 years old. Since then, Tada has become an advocate for people with disabilities and shares openly about how her faith in God has sustained her body and her mind. Tada is confined to a wheelchair and suffers from chronic pain. A big part of her life’s work has been spent helping others who are disabled. Tada started Joni and Friends over 40 years ago with the mission of evangelizing and discipling people with disabilities.