“Miracle” survivor Mischelle Hileman of Wallowa, who was moved out of the intensive care unit at St. Alphonsus Hospital in Boise into a regular room Saturday, relayed a message to the people of Wallowa County through a friend this week.

“She wanted everyone to know, ‘You don’t follow elk to the end of the earth, because they will go there,’ ” said Marilyn Seifert after a Saturday visit with Hileman in the hospital. “That’s what she said she learned from this experience, and would like other people to learn from her mistake.”

Seifert, one of the searchers who found Hileman on Sunday, Nov. 3, after a week of winter exposure, said that Hileman is in good spirits and thankful to be alive despite the fact she was facing a double amputation of her legs because of severe frostbite. Seifert said the surgery, originally scheduled for the first of this week, had been postponed.

“Mischelle’s in really good spirits. It’s encouraging to see. She’s her old self,” said Seifert. She added that Hileman is very happy to be receiving “lots of cards” from friends and well-wishers from Wallowa County. Hileman’s parents, Benny and Jan Hileman of Wallowa, have been staying in Boise to be near her. Visitors have been allowed, but limited to a few, and phone calls are not being allowed through to her room by request.

Also visiting Hileman at the hospital last weekend was Bridget Couldridge, a friend from South Africa staying with the Hilemans, who agreed with the positive assessment about Mischelle Hileman’s attitude. “She may be flat on her back, but she’s still Mischelle.” Couldridge said that while the amputation surgery is apparently “still in the cards” the fact it was postponed and not yet rescheduled seems like a hopeful sign.

Hileman is a 1982 graduate of Wallowa High School, and was living in Wallowa with her grandmother, Inez Spoelstra, at the time of the fateful hunting trip. She had lived for a time in John Day, where she was involved in caring for elderly people. Hileman has been taking an EMT class, serving as a meal site volunteer and working with a pet transport service.

An account has been set up at Community Bank to help Hileman with medical expenses. According to friends she had no health insurance. A talent show and pie auction will be held at the Wallowa Senior Center at 2 p.m. Sunday, and among the pies on the auction block will be some very special ones – pumpkin pies Mischelle Hileman herself made not long ago.