News > North America

Lexington UBF (Kentucky, North America)

August 11, 2012

Dr. John Doty had two surgeries so far. The first surgery was to implant a defibrillator which in the course of it stopped his heart and breathing. They had to bring him back with paddles.

This was the right thing to do but his heart was too sick to take the stints. Things then began to spiral downhill. He is at the University of Kentucky hospital now where they performed another surgery to install what they call a "short term" pump. This is the surgical team's attempt to bring him back to full consciousness so that we can discuss what needs to be done. His heart is too weak so the pump is doing the work for him.

The doctors are happy with the outcome. He lost a lot of blood. I had requested prayer for his bleeding to stop and it did. I requested  prayer for his blood pressure to rise and be maintained and it has been. This needed delicate balance because he is on pain medicine which brings the blood pressure down. He, still, is in critical but stable condition. We are praying for his breathing tube to come out today. When the doctors opened him up, only one of his chambers was working, the other just sitting and twitching. His heart is still very sick. I believe, however, that "this sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's son may be glorified through it." John 11:4

I was crying like Mary and Martha at the death of their beloved brother Lazarus. God gently and spiritually scolded me thorugh my brother in Korea for my lack of faith in Jesus who is the resurrection and the life. And then he offered a very powerful prayer over the phone.

I learned that I am the one with a weak and sick heart because my husband is peaceful. He is not crying. He still has his gentle and graceful spirit and in spite of the tube in his mouth with pain, he mouths "amen" when I pray for him. Please pray for us that he may have Jesus' life and his heart may be healed. Please pray for me that I may go through this trial with resurrection faith. Please pray for my boys. I disclosed the condition of their daddy to them yesterday for the first time. They were able to see him after the surgery. They were very sad but they are going through this with trust in God.

By Grace Doty