I've Been Healed!


On March 16, 2004, at 1:00 p.m. I came home from a two mile walk. I told my wife I felt good today, 30 minutes later I was on the floor. A blood clot had lodged in a vessel in my brain and caused a stroke. I was rushed to the local Portsmouth hospital where they assumed I had a heart attack. I was admitted and tests were run. I did not have a heart attack.

On March 18 at 1:00 a.m. in the morning, a CAT scan was performed and showed I had a stroke. At 10:00 a.m. a MRI was performed and showed I had an Acute Cerebral Hemorrhage (brain bleed). The pressure of the clot being lodged in the vessel made the vessel explode, causing my brain to bleed. I was starting to go into a coma and was life-flighted to Ohio State University Medical Center. When I arrived I was admitted to the surgical intensive care unit and was placed on a ventilator (life support) and a ventricular line was placed in my brain to check the pressure of the brain and to look at the cerebra-spinal fluid. There were tubes and lines running everywhere on me. From March 18, 2004, to March 23, 2004, I laid in a coma. Sometimes I could hear faint voices. I do remember my wife telling me, “It was OK for me to go be with Jesus and our son Joshua.” In my mind, I was squeezing her hand, saying, “No. God’s not ready for me yet,” but I was not moving or speaking.

Earlier that day, my wife demanded the neurosurgeons to tell her the truth and not candy-coat it. Kim was told I would have to have brain surgery to remove the clot and stop the bleeding. Kim was told my chances of surviving were slip. She should think about preparing for a funeral. The doctor said if I made it through the surgery it would be a miracle and if I did make it, there would be a chance I would be in a vegetative state or be so handicapped I would be in a nursing home. Approximately one hour after the doctor spoke to my wife, they came to her and said they had to do emergency surgery; it would take around three hours. They took me to surgery and after 1 1/2 hours, they came to my wife and said the surgery was over-that when they opened my skull the clot came to them and they did not have to go for it. They removed the clot and dead brain matter and finished the surgery and sent me back to my room still on life support, but I responded to their questions and gave them a thumb’s up. After the surgery, I sank back into a coma, my feet started turning blue and I was in a fetal position. Kim and her sister prayed Saturday, March 27, for God to give them an answer soon. If He was going to take me home or wake me up! On Sunday, March 28, 2004, I WOKE UP!

I had a dream of preaching about the woman with the 12 year issue of blood and how she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and was healed. I had been running from my calling for 17 years. I spent 5 1/2 weeks in rehabilitation learning how to walk, talk, and how to do daily activities. I praise God and God wants me to preach the good news and share my testimony.


In Jesus’ name,
Hank Broughton