Fisherman stuck in lake for hours, financially saved by CHM members, Deborah and Gary Bailey, Saline, Louisiana

*Editor’s note: This information was published in the June 2021 issue of Heartfelt Magazine, CHM’s monthly magazine that provides CHM membership-related tips and tricks, medical advice from doctors, testimonies from CHM members, and more. Please refer to the CHM Guidelines and applicable web pages for the most up-to-date information regarding CHM membership, sharing eligibility, and ministry news.*

Last April, my husband, Gary, was fishing and fell into the lake. He got his leg caught in the boat and got stuck. Four hours later, someone rescued him. 

I took him to the ER, and they discovered that he’d had a heart attack. However, because he’d been trapped in the water, the doctors deemed him too ill for surgery.  They sent him home to recover and planned to perform the surgery when he was stronger.

While we waited for an appointment, Gary had a stroke, which should have paralyzed his left side. Again, God was with him. 

Because of the stroke, Gary had to wait even longer to have heart surgery. We finally got an appointment at a hospital specializing in high-risk surgeries. 

Gary seriously debated whether he wanted to have the risky surgery. But one day, the Lord spoke to his heart and said, “If Peter never stepped out of the boat, he never would have walked on the water. Are you going to trust me?” 

Gary decided to walk in faith and have surgery.

As Gary was going into the operating room, the nurse wore a beanie covered with the names of God. It felt like a sign from God. Sure enough, Gary’s surgery was successful. 

The first day Gary received letters from CHM members, he came back from the mailbox crying. He said, “These people don’t even know me and yet they are sending me encouragement and prayers!” 

We highly recommend CHM to others. Had it not been for our fellow CHM members, we would’ve had many bills that we couldn’t pay. Thanks to you, Gary is now back doing what he loves: fishing.