Do you believe in miracles? This is the story of a real-life hero who was granted a real-life miracle by God. But first, let me tell you a little about this hero of mine. His name is Marty Yates, and he is 64 years of age. Marty is a retired firefighter of 38 years and also a strength and conditioning coach at our local gym. July 6, 2024, was the worst and the best day of my life. I'll explain. Marty and I were at our gym working out in the evening after he finished work. I was walking on the treadmill, and Marty was doing some leg workouts. About an hour into his workout, he collapsed backward onto the carpeted area of our gym. I did not see him collapse; an employee came running to me to tell me of the incident. After several of the longest minutes of my life, the paramedics and ambulance showed up to help revive Marty's heart. He had gone into a full-blown heart block. He was barely breathing, and his heart was starting to fail. I cannot put into words how terrified I was. As I stared at my husband of almost 33 years on the ground, barely hanging on to life, I ran to him and took his hand and started talking to him. He wasn't responding at first, but then I noticed as I spoke louder and reminded him that I was there and that he needed to stay with me. I could not bear the thought of living this life without him. The paramedics finally got Marty's heart to start beating again with the assistance of panels on his chest. They shocked him over and over again just to keep him alive. After a long emergency room visit, the doctor came out and said, "This man is lucky to be alive." He said, "I have never seen an EKG look this bad except on a dead person!" I was still in shock myself and not sure what to think. I did the only thing that I knew to do, and that was to start praying to God. I asked Him to please not take the love of my life from me. Please, God, please, God. I knelt down beside Marty before they took him to the ICU and talked to God about my dying husband. I would have gladly given my life in exchange for his and begged God not to take him from me. Several days later, the doctors determined that he would need to have a pacemaker and the operation to implant that ensued. All went well, and things were looking positive. I was still holding my breath a little, though, just because I hadn't had time to process the events of the days. Marty's motto when he took the job at our gym was, "I want to go from saving lives as a firefighter to changing lives as a trainer." Marty has given his entire life to helping others, and now it was time for someone to help him. That someone was God Himself. He gave Marty back life, and it was truly a miracle. Our family is asking for any financial support you can give. Mounting medical bills from the surgery and the multitude of doctors and specialists that saw Marty in and out of the hospital. The doctor's visits will be frequent for some time just to monitor his progress. Please hug and kiss those around you that you love, and please NEVER take them for granted. This experience has taught me that life can be short, and none of us knows when that day will come that the Lord calls us Home. May God bless you all as He has blessed my amazing husband and myself. - Kari Yates
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