Russell’s Story
I was so inspired to hear of how a man named Russell was stricken with a massive heart attack (the type typically terminal) during service at VCC in Albany last year, only to stand in front of us Sunday night, walking full of life after being pronounced “Brain dead”!

In late 2011, Russell dropped in church with massive heart failure. A couple people tried awaken and resuscitate Russell for some time but eventually he was taken out of the church as paramedics continued to attempt to resuscitate him, and much time passed for Russell without a pulse.

This story brings back haunting memories of my own father’s heart attack, where I had already performed CPR on him for over 30 minutes when the paramedics arrived. Much time passed without a pulse or response from my father (Ed). The paramedics took my father out the door of the house, with his lifeless body functioning only through the compression of his chest by paramedics.As with my dad who heart eventually began beating in the ER at the hospital, it took so long to get Russell’s heart going again, that he was left in a similar vegetative state, with minimal brain-stem activity, only allowing for life support to keep him barely alive.

As they were left in a deep coma with extensive brain damage, later that evening, the attending Doctors said that both Russell & my dad would: 1) either die within a couple days from the attack, or 2) they would both suffer life in a permanent vegetative state, never to awaken.

With no hope, they pronounced Russell & my dad “brain dead”. That first night, is when they asked my family back in 1982 if they could “pull the plug” on my dad. We were not Christians at the time but something deep in our souls just could not agree to end his life this in manor so we said “no way”.

Similarly with no family to contact, they asked the small team from Victory Christian Church including Pastor Charlie, Patty, and Marti, to “pull the plug” for Russell. Pastor Charlie also said “no way”, but this is where these two similar stories part.

One story ends with the typical expected results from a world filled with hopelessness, death and sorrow, and I’m sad to say my dad passed away two nights later at 2AM at the young age of 57.

The other story ends with the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, Christian faith. With that, this story ended very differently filled with Life, and evidence of the power to heal which God offers us through faith in His son Jesus. Steeped in that deep faith, the team fervently prayed for complete healing as Russell lay lifeless beside them. Expecting a miracle, they left later that evening even while Russell’s condition appeared the same, they walked in faith that God would restore life.

The next morning thanks to  answered prayers by our merciful God, a supernatural miracle happened and Russell awoke the next day! But that’s not all!! He also stumped the Doctors and quickly healed, was taken off life support within a few days, and was released from the hospital only days after being pronounced brain dead as he lay lifeless!!!! Oh how good is our God!!!

Being from NH I wasn’t there when this all happened, but my good friend Lou and many witnesses can attest to this story and for this believer to actually see Russell Sunday evening, walking quite normal and full of life, …… what a treat it was to hear such a testimony and to witness the power (and love) of our wonderful savior Jesus. All I could say was and is, WOW!!!! How awesome is our God!!

How I wish I had been saved at the time, and could have prayed with such faith and fervor for my dad back in 1982. Two similar stories….. One ended hopeless and without God, the other ended full of hope and life, standing as a powerful testimony to the power in the name of Jesus.

It’s my greatest prayer and hope, that we all grow deeper in our faith from such awesome testimonies, and learn to carry (and release) that deep, life changing faith, in the name of the Son of the only Living God, Jesus Christ! Thanks Patty for sharing this amazing story on Sunday, and thanks to Pastor Charlie and his team for carrying a faith that moves heaven!!