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Billy's Story

February 2nd, 2012 by AJ Picard

Stories have the power to change us. This story has changed me, and awakened a greater faith within in me for the power of prayer. It's a true story of Jesus encountering a boy and his father in a hospital room ICU. This is our story, because God used our prayers to influence its outcome.

Pastor Craig Horne- newly appointed Campus Pastor for Walnut Hill in The Valley- has been a soccer pro for years, coaching an all-star girl's team. Gillian is one of the gifted 9-year-old girls that he coaches. On August 28, just after Hurricane Irene swept through the northeast with 115 mph winds leaving 2 million without power amidst a flooded and devastated New England landscape, Craig received a phone call.

Gillian's dad called that Monday after the storm to let Craig know that she might not be herself when she comes to practice the next day. There had been an accident with her brother. When Gillian came to practice, she was completely shaken and lacked her usual self confidence. Craig approached her and she just broke down in tears. Her dad's fiancé picked up Gillian from practice, and Craig drew near to speak with her and discover what happened. That's when he heard the whole story.

THE STORY
After the storm had stopped on Sunday, Gillian, her brother Billy, his step-brother Seb and their family went outside to survey the damage. The dad tested out a tree swing in the back yard to see whether it was safe for him to swing on. It looked good and all was well until a horrific cracking sound sliced through the air. The tree holding Billy's swing had broken and begun to fall. In a moment, dad looked to assess who was in danger. Billy began to jump off the swing and run out of harm's way, while his step-bother stood frozen in fear. Dad lunged toward him instinctively and just as he moved his step-son out of the way, he saw that Billy had tripped over a root and fell. The whole family watched as the great tree landed directly on Billy's head. His Dad lunged toward him and in a rush of adrenaline, hoisted the 500 lb tree off his son's body. Pushing the blood from his small face, he began to administer CPR.

With the hurricane ruining any hope of an ambulance's arrival, dad picked up his son's limp body and drove him through the post-storm mess to the hospital. Billy was placed in ICU, in a coma, with three steel rods in his head to monitor his brain and tubes coming out of his body to keep him alive. Doctors gave Billy a 1% chance of survival, and very little hope for normal brain function.

As Craig listened in shocked to the news, his own heart filled with love and urgency, and he decided to visit Billy in the hospital. Once at the hospital he met the dad, and asked him if he could pray for Billy. His dad said, "I don't care, do whatever you have to do". With tear-filled eyes, Craig began to pray out loud to Jesus, that He would heal Billy and restore his life. During the prayer, Billy's toe moved. His dad responded excitedly "He moved, keep doing your magic!" Craig assured him this was no magic, but that Jesus has the power to heal. During that time, we all joined with Craig in prayer for Billy using the Emergency Prayer Email to send out prayer updates.

Over the next four weeks, Craig would visit Billy in the hospital at least once a week and often twice a week, to pray for him. On several occasions, God would touch a part of Billy's body during prayer, and his fingers would move. At one point Billy even sat up, gave his dad a high five, and then layed back down. His dad kept shouting to Craig, "Do your magic, do your magic, it's working!" Again, Craig assured him Billy's response was not because of magic, but becuase of the prayers to Jesus, who has the power to heal.

God moved in power as Craig and all of us cried out to Him in prayer. After four months in a coma, Billy woke up. He doesn't have a scratch on his head, and his brain function is now reported by doctors to be completely normal. He's above average physically, and very happy to be alive. Billy, his dad, and the family attended the first service at The Strand when The Valley church opened this past Thanksgiving weekend. Billy is back in school now, the picture here shows him on his first day back to school in January (Billy is on the left).

Craig continues to develop his friendship with the family and prays for them. Let's join together now, and give thanks to our God who is able to heal.

I don't know why God doesn't always heal us when we pray to Him, but I know this; Jesus has the power to heal. And this story compels me to keep on asking Him in prayer, believing that Jesus wants to encounter others with His healing power the way He encountered Billy.

-- AJ Picard, Pastor of Prayer