John Gray, a former pastor at Houston’s Lakewood Church who now leads his own congregation in South Carolina, is in the hospital battling a rare type of blockage in his lungs.
His wife, Aventer, posted about it on Instagram, explaining that Gray went to the emergency room on Thursday night and was immediately admitted to the hospital with a saddle pulmonary embolism in the pulmonary artery and more lung blood clots.
“The clot burden is severe and only God is holding it in place,” Aventer said, writing that her husband will need two types of surgery within the next 24 hours due to the pressure on his heart.
“To place this in perspective,” she continued. “The doctor said that people have come into the hospital deal with this exact scenario he walked in with. The doctor said God has to keep him through the night and he can not move, not even get up to walk to a bathroom.”
A pulmonary embolism is a blockage in one of the pulmonary arteries in the lungs. The Mayo Clinic explains that in most cases, pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel to the lungs from deep veins in the legs or veins from other parts of the body.
Mostly Pulmonary Embolism is a condition in which one or more arteries in the lungs become blocked by a blood clot.
Most times, a pulmonary embolism is caused by blood clots that travel from the legs, or rarely, other parts of the body (deep vein thrombosis or DVT).
Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain and cough.
Prompt treatment to break up the clot greatly reduces the risk of death. This can be done with blood thinners and drugs or procedures. Compression stockings and physical activity can help prevent clots from forming in the first place.
In a July 10 Instagram post, Aventer wrote the Relentless Church pastor “was feeling a little different over the past couple of weeks.” On July 7, Gray went to the hospital and was immediately checked in for a pulmonary embolism. The 49-year-old “will need two types of surgery due to the pressure now on the heart within the next 24 hours.” Gray is not allowed to move, walk, or even go to the bathroom.
Aventer Gray also wrote, “I need as many people who believe in the miracle healing power Of Jesus Christ to join me and my family and our church as we cry out on behalf of John W. Gray III. I’m rocking with God, Relentlessly!”
A pulmonary embolism, which was the cause of death for legendary rapper Heavy D in 2011, is due to blood clots that travel to your lungs from another part of your body — most commonly, your legs.
Gray is the pastor of Relentless Church in Greenville, South Carolina.
Before moving there, he was an associate pastor at Lakewood, here in Houston.
“My family and I stand in need of a miracle,” Aventer said.
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