An Indianapolis news anchor was given a 70-80% chance of dying after a burst artery, but what happened next stunned his doctor.
The Bible is a living testament of God’s amazing grace that continues to work in many lives today. We all hold dear to certain Bible verses that give us strength to keep going or give us hope when things get hard. But have you ever experienced those very verses working directly in your life? Scott Swan did, firsthand, when he went through a near-death experience that had no medical explanation.
A Pain That Wouldn’t Quit
Scott Swan had been dealing with stomach pain for days. He anchored his midday newscasts at WTHR in Indianapolis like nothing was wrong, but by April 26, 2017, the pain had become impossible to ignore.
“I went into the bathroom and felt very clammy. I felt light-headed. I just felt this enormous pain down in my stomach,” Scott recalled. “And just knew that this was getting worse. Progressively worse.”
His wife Janae’ was in Mexico on business, and when he texted her that things were getting worse, she responded in all caps telling him to go to the doctor. But Scott waited until after work to check into an ER near his home.
That decision nearly cost him his life.
Racing Against the Clock
Doctors found his blood pressure dangerously low. A CAT scan revealed he was bleeding into his abdomen, and vascular surgeon Dr. Randy Irwin got a frantic call before Scott even came out of the scanner.
“He was barely hanging on to consciousness. We knew he was bleeding to death, but we didn’t know why,” Dr. Irwin said.
They needed to transfer Scott to another hospital, but a storm grounded the helicopter. He went by ambulance instead, with his blood pressure dropping to 50/30. Dr. Irwin estimated his chances of dying on the way at 70-80%.
A Wife Praying From a Thousand Miles Away
Janae’ was trying to get a flight home from Mexico, but cell service was spotty and she could barely get any information. All she knew was that Scott had gone to the ER and was now being transferred to another hospital.
“I had no idea, really the severity of what was going on,” she said. “I was stuck. I couldn’t leave. All I just want to do was sit and pray. I guess distraught is the only word I can think of.”
God’s Peace in the Ambulance
While his wife prayed from across the border and doctors raced to keep him alive, Scott was having a completely different experience in the back of that ambulance.
“I don’t remember feeling the pain at that point,” he said. “I sensed that God was with me. And while I couldn’t speak and I couldn’t open my eyes, I felt God’s peace in the back of that ambulance.”
The Discovery That Stunned His Surgeon
When Scott arrived at St. Vincent’s, Dr. Irwin had him wheeled straight into the operating room. He used a catheter to try to locate the bleeding artery. But what he found surprised everyone.
“It looked like Scott had stopped bleeding. It stopped on its own,” Dr. Irwin said. “But we could clearly see some arteries inside there that were not normal. And then after that we kind of stopped everything.”
Surgery was no longer needed. The next day, Dr. Irwin inserted a coil into the artery to prevent further bleeding and moved Scott to intensive care.
No Medical Explanation
After 12 days in the hospital, Scott went home. Doctors diagnosed him with polyarteritis nodosum, a rare autoimmune disorder that attacks arteries as if they are foreign objects.
It could be managed with medication, but recent scans showed something even the doctors didn’t expect. The disease has completely gone away.
Dr. Irwin said it plainly: “I think there’s no doubt that if Scott didn’t stop bleeding on his own, that he probably would have died before he got down here to see me.”
Scott was clear about his miraculous healing. “To me, there is no good medical explanation to why that artery sealed, and why I stopped bleeding. As a Christ-follower, I believe God healed me.”
Words That Became Real
Scott shared how his favorite Bible verses became real to him after that day. “God IS my healer. God IS my Savior. He IS my God of miracles. I want people to know that whatever you’re going through in life, that God is with you,” he said.
Janae’ sees a bigger purpose behind everything they went through. “I know that the Lord takes something and just makes it better, and that’s what He’s done with this situation, by creating a miracle, saving him, and now for him to have a platform like this to go and spread the good news, and to encourage others.”
Yesterday on April 26, Scott recounted his miracle and shared an uplifting note with his followers.
Every miracle in the Bible is true. God is still at work. Every time I give my testimony people share their own miracle stories with me.Friend, there is nothing impossible with God.“Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”(Matthew 19:26 NIV)He was.He is.He will always be the God of miracles!“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”(Hebrews 13:8 NIV)God is still in the miracle business!
Whatever you are going through right now, remember that the same God who healed Scott is with you today. Nothing is impossible with Him. God bless.
WATCH: TV News Anchor Nearly Dies After Burst Artery, Says God Healed Him
