On November 25, 1918 she fell at home in the kitchen and remained paralysed until the first vision of the Virgin Mary (March 25, 1921). That night her sister Alice was awaken by noise and light. Martha told her: "The light is beautiful, but I saw the Virgin Mary."
   From then on, Martha submitted all her wishes to the Virgin Mary. She knew that Jesus would fulfill each of His Mother's requests. The visions of Our Lady became particularly frequent in the last years of Martha's life.
   In 1921 she got up and learnt to walk again. Five years later, she fell seriously ill. She was deeply unconscious for three weeks and was given the last anointment. Then she was visited three times by Teresa of Lisieux, who notified her that she was not going to die because her mission was to spread a message across the world. Martha's legs became paralysed on March 25, 1928 and remained so for the rest of her life. A carpenter made her a divan on which she lay until her death.
   From March 1928 on, she was unable to eat any food. She vomitted everything. She could neither swallow, nor digest. Nor could she drink, not even pure water. She was unable to sleep from then on. Physicians were helpless. They were incapable of explaining the origin of the symptoms, nor why the patient had not died.
   There was a food, however, which Martha would not refuse. It was the Eucharist. She could not live without it. A priest at Chateauneufu accompanied by two altar boys used to bring her the Sacred Host. Priests that were lucky to administer the Eucharist to Martha saw that she ate it without swallowing it. (A number of witnesses can testify to it).
   In 1930, Martha heard the Saviour's internal voice saying: "Would you like to be like me?". Martha readily answered yes. Then she saw a lance coming out of Jesus' Heart which turned into beams. The beams pierced Martha's body. Jesus then put his crown of thorns on her head. From then on Martha had stigmata all over her body. Every Friday for 51 years she experienced Jesus' Passion on her body and soul.
   Martha shed tears of blood. Every evening people laid a napkin on the blanket below her head. Next morning it was stained with blood. Always! The blood kept flowing for as long as half a century. Where did it come from?
   Martha's passion lasted from Thursday evening to Sunday, at the end of her life to Monday. During this period she seemed to be dead. She was several times examined by doctors in this state. The ordinariate of Valence appointed a commission which reported their findings to Rome.
   This simple village girl had a flair for reading in human hearts and advising in religious affairs. She gave advice to president de Gaulle, cardinals, bishops, philosophers and scientists. She knew the future, but this had nothing in common with prophecy.
   The Virgin Mary prompted her to have a Roman Catholic school established in the village. Opened in 1934, the school started with seven pupils, but later its enrolment rose to as many as a thousand.
   Here is one example of how Martha worked: Abbot Finet brought Martha a painting on February 10, 1936. Martha told him:
- Abbot, God wants you to do something. You should come here and found the first "island of love".
- Me, miss? I'm not from this diocese! I'm from Lyon.
- If God wants it, it is no obstacle.
- But what should I do?
- Many things, for instance spiritual excercises.
- Three-day stays could be good.
- The Virgin Mary requests whole five days.
- But, how will we announce the spiritual exercises?
- It will be the duty of the Virgin Mary. Jesus will grant extraordinary mercies. You don't have to announce anything.
- When will the first stay take place?
- On Monday, September 7. It will come to an end at midday, on Sunday, September 13.
   The stay came true. The spiritual exercise on September 7 was attended by 33 women and girls. Now a total of 70 islands of love exist on all continents.
   Martha's suffereing was made even worth by blindness.
   Martha asked the Virgin Mary to cure various people and she did so.
   When Martha received stigmata, people began coming from afar to see her. Sometimes she met as many as 60 visitors a day. Despite her suffering she always kept smiling. People thronged in to recharge vigor.
   Martha received letters from around the globe. Simone red them aloud for her: they were cries for help from people of all ages who solicited advice, requested favours or thanked her. Martha listened and dictated answers. She encouraged, strengthened, advised and gave consolation to those in need.
   She received parcels, too. The whole room was filled with them: food, garment, rosaries ... Martha had them sent further to the islands of love, poor people, prisoners, lepers and missionaries.
   The last passion happened on Friday, February 6, 1981, when Martha died. Her funeral was attended by five bishops, two hundred priests and thousands of people who had been reconverted to Christianity or whose faith she strengthened by the power of mystique.

   Martha Robin did not eat, drink and sleep for 51 years. But she did not play a fakir. She lived solely on the EUCHARIST. For 51 years no sleep, no food. Fancy that Martha never sleeps, she just prays and contemplates ...