Top Heart Doctor: Medical Miracles Do Happen

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Doctors are often able to save lives by using the latest drugs and medical procedures. But every once in a while, patients survive even when science shows recovery is impossible.

“I’ve been practicing medicine for some 30 years, and there are cases I’ve seen that I can’t explain, and when I try to do so, ‘miracle,’ is the only word that comes to mind," says Dr. Chauncey Crandall, who heads the preventive medicine cardiology program at the world-renowned Palm Beach Cardiovascular Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Dr. Crandall believes he has seen two such miracles. Both times, faith seemed to play a role.

The first case occurred in 2006, when 53-year-old Jeffrey Markin walked through the entrance of a West Palm Beach hospital and collapsed of a massive heart attack. Doctors used a defibrillator to shock his heart in an effort to save him, but nothing worked and Markin was pronounced dead.

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“The nurse was preparing his body for the morgue, and I started to leave the room,” Dr. Crandall recalls. But he sensed God telling him to turn around and pray for the man. Although he felt foolish praying for a man who was clearly dead, Dr. Crandall did so. Then, he turned to the ER doctor and said, “Shock him one more time.”

“He took the paddles, put them on his chest, and all of the sudden, Bam! There was a perfect heartbeat on the monitor. I had never seen a miracle like that. We couldn’t believe what was happening,” said Dr. Crandall. Markin eventually fully recovered.

Gary Williams, 55, was in the process of an intense morning workout when he collapsed. His wife called 911, but, despite CPR and emergency procedures begun in the ambulance, his heart stopped twice before he reached the hospital. He was placed in a hypothermic coma, which cooled his body, lessening the demand for blood on his brain. Hopes dimmed.

“The doctors did brainwave tests on Gary, which showed that he had no function at all. They believed he was brain dead, and were urging his wife to withdraw him from life support, but she was fighting their decision,” Dr. Crandall recalled.

“I was brought in for a consultation, and, as anyone who knows me can attest, I am a firm believer in the power of prayer. So, I prayed for Gary. But I am also an experienced physician, and I could not ignore the medical tests.

“Gary did appear to be brain dead. Still, I continued to pray for him.

“A miracle occurred. Just as doctors were preparing to disconnect the life support, Gary suddenly moved. He was not brain dead after all!”

Dr. Crandall cannot find scientific explanations for these recoveries, and the fact that they occurred has convinced him that faith-based medical miracles do happen. As he put it, “I do believe there is something besides medicine in the world that can heal.”

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