“Miracles From Heaven” Author Christy Beam Featured at Round Table Scholarship Luncheon

(Abilene, Texas) – Christy Wilson Beam, an HSU alumna, was on campus today to share the story of her daughter’s miraculous recovery after battling devastating digestive illnesses. 

“I believed in miracles, but I didn’t believe they’d happen to an ordinary person like me,” she said.

An Abilene native, Beam was the featured speaker for the Annual Round Table Scholarship Luncheon held in the Van Ellis Theater. She was joined by DeVon Franklin, the producer of an upcoming film based on Beam’s book “Miracles From Heaven” starring Jennifer Garner and scheduled for release on March 16th. The book follows the story of Beam’s daughter Annabel, who was healed of her stomach disorders following a 30-foot fall into an old hollowed-out tree. 

Even though it was challenging to relive their family’s struggles, Beam said she felt called to write the book to give hope to others going through difficult circumstances.

She encouraged the audience to recognize the good things happening in life.

“I challenge you to look up, look around, and don’t miss those miracles that are happening daily,” she said.

Franklin, who also championed faith-based movies “The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Heaven is For Real,” said he was compelled to share the Beam family’s courageous story with the world because of its faith-affirming message and its message of God’s miracles in today’s world.

“When I read Christy’s story for the first time, I literally could not put it down,” he said. “It was so powerful and so riveting. It reminded me that God is with us.”   

The path from book to movie for her story was one of the fastest Franklin had ever seen in his career. 

“I don’t want any of us to leave here without understanding how rare a moment this is,” he said. “It’s important to underscore that so we understand that God is up to something. He uses us as his messengers.” 

Beam graduated from Hardin-Simmons in 1995 with a Bachelor of Behavioral Science in Education and a specialization in Reading. She now resides near Burleson, Texas, with her husband Dr. Kevin Beam (B.S. ’94 and HSU Athletics Hall of Fame honored quarterback), and their three daughters. Beam’s memoir was published in 2015 by Hachette Books.

The Round Table annual luncheon event serves as a fundraiser for the Lucile Sandefer Scholarship that is awarded to a female student during the event.  In addition to the scholarship, The Virtue Award is presented to a woman who has demonstrated support of Hardin-Simmons and reflects the service principles and virtues of the founders of the Round Table organization.  Junior Katherine Park was awarded the scholarship and longtime HSU faculty and coach Billie Martin was honored with the Virtue Award.