It was 1993, Van Nuys, California. I had just finished my day's work and was walking down a flight of stairs. As I took a step I hear a loud pop and felt an excruciating flash of pain in my right knee. My leg collapsed under me and I caught the banister, preventing a fall. I felt a strong tightness in my knee as I carefully limped to my car, then drove the few miles to home.

When I woke up the next day I could barely walk. My knee continued to feel tight, but it also felt like it was dislocating. There was increased pain associated with every step. At best, I could walk 100 feet. I concluded that I must have torn something and that all that was necessary was some time to allow it to heal itself. I patiently gave my knee some time to heal itself while challenging myself to walk a little further each week.

A year went by and the best I was able to achieve was to be able to carefully stroll about 1,000 feet, because by then the knee would tighten up, would pain a lot and it felt like it was dislocating. So, finally I sought help. Two knee experts told me I most likely had torn my ACL and would require surgery. I heard some horror stories about knee surgeries that have gone wrong and therefore I was afraid to take the risk. I would consider surgery only after exhausting all other options.

I went to see an Indian Vedic astrologer. "Have you considered acupuncture?" he asked.

"No, but I will try it." I always maintain an open mind, never pre-judging or negating anything until I have done my own due diligence.

"How long will it take for me to be cured? Will I be able to run again?" I asked.

"It will take about a year", he said. "Running? We'll have to see."

I located a Chinese acupuncturist who was also a physical therapist and began a series of treatments. However, after a few weeks, there was little progress. The acupuncturist then tried acupuncture with and electric current across three needles he had strategically placed around my knee. This was painful, so I refused further treatment. Nevertheless, that one electric treatment was sufficient to stimulate healing. Over the next few months the healing progressed until I reached a plateau, only being able to go for a mile or two stroll several times per week.

I then decided to have a custom-made aluminum knee brace to use when I wanted to do some more aggressive hiking. Although not ideal, I had sufficient mobility to accept my condition. I still hoped that my knee would improve without risking surgery.

After nearly ten more years there had not been any further progress in my knee's healing. I retired in 2004 and was no longer willing to accept a restriction on my walking. I recalled my pilgrimage to India some twenty years earlier when I visited Sathya Sai Baba out of curiosity, after hearing about his miraculous healing abilities and his materializations of various objects. I concluded that trip, convinced of Sathya Sai Baba's abilities. So, now I thought, if anyone could heal me, certainly he could. I decided to go to India and ask Sathya Sai Baba to heal my knee.

After fifty hours of travel I arrived at 4 a.m. at Sai Baba's ashram in Puttaparthi, just in time to seat myself near the front of the men's line. Much had changed since my previous visit. A lot of construction had taken place to accommodate the 25,000+ daily visitors. However, the deep mystical tranquility and spiritual atmosphere I experienced previously was equally apparent on this pilgrimage. The procedure to enter the temple had not changed. As the line lengthened, ushers escorted the lined-up individuals down a hill onto a patio of ten lines. Everyone briskly took a position in one of the ten lines. There we waited until 6:30 when the senior usher asked the person seated at the front of each line to draw a token from a small sack. The numbered tokens, from one to ten, determined the order in which the lines would enter the temple. I was seated in line number three, but the token drawn for that line was number five. So, although I had arrived early, I was not going to get the best seat in the house as I had planned.

At 7:30 a.m. the lines were led into the temple. At the gate were two sets of four security guards. Each person entering had to be screened by one set of security guards who simultaneously did a very thorough, full-body pat-down search. After the pat-down devotees raced to seat themselves on the floor, strategically along the pathway that Sai Baba took in his electric chauffer driven open car.

I was seated a few rows back with a sealed letter in my hand describing the nature of the healing darshan I desired. The object was to hand the letter to Sai Baba as he passed by. I looked at the thousands of people gathering around me and was beginning to wonder if I could accomplish my goal.

For every three people in the front row a security guard was posted facing the densely seated crowd. Everyone waited patiently. Then about 8:30 a.m. Sai Baba was slowly driven into the temple arena. He first made his way along the paths through the ladies seated section. Seven security guards surrounded the vehicle. I noticed Sai Baba stopping to gather some letters from the ladies. He then came towards the men's section. As he approached devotees jumped up from their seated positions with letters in hand and raced for the vehicle which continued moving slowly away. All guards sprung into action, pushing back the aggressive devotees. In desperation some devotees, realizing they were not going to be able to hand their letters to Sai Baba, threw their letters into the vehicle as it passed by. Within minutes the drive-by darshan was over. I was discouraged. How was I to hand my letter to Sai Baba? How was I to be healed?

Next day I repeated the same routine. I got lucky; I ended up in line number one, assured of a good seat. Once past the pat-down routine I raced for an advantageous front row seat on the floor, by where Sai Baba would pass. After about an hour Sai Baba made his rounds in his electric chauffeured vehicle, just like the prior day. As he slowly approached nobody raced towards the vehicle. I decided to make my move. I slowly lifted myself from my seated position and took three small strides in a crouched position. Strangely, none of the guards attempted to stop me and no one else made an approach. I came to rest on one knee and held my letter up for Sai Baba to take. The car stopped, positioning Sai Baba just three feet from me. Our gazes locked. He looked intently at me for about five seconds. He then looked at the letter I held in my partly outstretched hand. Then, he slowly reached for the letter and brought it to rest, holding it on his lap. The driver slowly pulled away and I got up, backing away to my seat. Others seeing my success charged the car to attempt handing in their letters and the guards moved quickly to control the small excited crowd. I left darshan wondering how the healing was to take place.

Come nightfall I went to sleep as usual. I was suddenly awakened by a sharp continuing pain in my knee. It was uncomfortable, but bearable. I assumed the pain was associated with a healing that was taking place, and I settled myself back to sleep.

I woke up early in the morning, feeling terrific. My knee felt different. It felt right. I proceeded to test it. I took a brisk mile-walk to the base of a nearby mountain, and ran up the strenuous stairs leading up to a shrine located on top. I was delighted. My knee held up well. But, I did not want to get my hopes up. I was still not sure. Therefore, I took a wait and see attitude. I returned home, looking forward to putting my knee through some strenuous tests.

Now, several years later, I report that since receiving healing darshan from Sai Baba, I have not used my brace or a cane. I have gone on many hikes, some which were strenuous. My knee has held up just fine.

The best test of this healing, however, was when I relocated to a new home. I handled the entire move myself. I loaded two sixteen-footers with furniture and boxes. Then, I single-handedly unloaded the two cargoes into our new home, even bringing all the furniture upstairs myself. My knee held up! With this final test I have to conclude that Sathya Sai Baba healed me.