Bill Belian/ Contributing Photographer Local author Pam Meintel.
Murphy – Pam Meintel had a difficult childhood that has left her with scars today.
She being was born in 1955 in Ravenna, Ohio, but things quickly turned sour. Meintel, then only 4 years old, and her baby sister were molested multiple times by a relative they trusted.
Feeling that something was wrong, but confused that it was coming from someone close to her, she kept quiet about the abuse. This went on for a year before she finally told someone about it.
Unfortunately, neither parent believed her, only adding to their trauma. The abuse finally stopped when she was about 7.
As an adult, Meintel met and married a man in Arizona. She would find out quickly the level of aggression she would be the recipient of by the man who claimed to love her.
They would attend counseling sessions for seven years before she divorced him after 13 years of marriage. They had two children together.
Three years later, Meintel would remarry. However, the second marriage would prove to be no better, as she discovered her husband was an alcoholic.
Once again, Meintel was left feeling devastated. To make matters worse, her husband was unsympathetic when a son from her first marriage suffered through cancer.
She recalled how her husband didn’t care, and only came to the hospital to ask for the keys to the vehicle they both shared. She would leave the marriage after four years.
Determined to get her life back, Meintel went to college, working her way to a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s in business. She would stay busy as a working mother.
Around that time, she met a man through a mutual friend and they went on a blind date, all while swearing she’d never get married again. After four years of dating, they married in 2005.
She is still happily married today. “The third time’s a charm, Meintel said with a smile,
In December 2011, Meintel suffered through what she initially thought was a heart attack. Once again, she received devastating news.
Her medical condition would take her from hospital admission to a coma, strokes, seizures and surgeries that left her with devastating scars and disabilities. Yet she persevered from near death to where she is today – all with her husband, Rod Meintel, by her side.
In 2016, Meintel wrote a book titled The Spirit Within Me, an autobiography about the abuse and injuries she suffered in childhood as well as an adult on multiple levels, both physically and emotionally, and how she was able to overcome it. Excerpts from a journal her sister kept during the medical crisis in 2011 are included.
In 2019, Meintel wrote a second book, Do No Harm, which chronicles her hospital stay, treatment – or lack thereof – eventual recovery and how she was injured by the doctors who were supposed to be caring for her. This book includes graphic photos of the injures she sustained as a result of negligent care.
What caused her to go from feeling depressed about her situation to becoming an inspiration to others?
”The way I was feeling about myself and my situation changed when I saw children coming out in wheelchairs. I realized then, I actually had it pretty good by comparison,” Meintel said.
Her husband was and still is a huge inspiration for her. She believes God brought her through this so she could inspire others through her writings.
When asked if she had any words for others going through difficult times, Meintel said, ”If you are going through a tough time in life, stay strong and rely on your faith, family and friends to help you get through it.”
Today, she and her husband are retired in Cherokee County. She enjoys photo shopping, dining, movies and traveling. Her books can be found on Amazon and at pamsstory.com.