- The first time I heard about COVID,

we were in a staff meeting at church,

at Gallatin First United Methodist Church

in Gallatin, Tennessee.

The administration fromthe Bishop's office

had sent down somerecommendations of how to prepare

for this pandemic that wewere about to experience.

- [Narrator] James Story,a retired high school

and college music professor in Tennessee,

began feeling ill in March of 2020.

- I started to having chillsand fever and I had gone

to the emergency room andthey had sent me home.

But over the weekend, I had gotten worse.

I went to my regular PCand he did some bloodwork.

Of course, there was nomark at that point in time,

to distinguish that you haveCOVID at this point in time.

- He called and askedme if I could take him

to the hospital, tothe ER, to the doctors.

His bloodwork had comeback and the doctors

wanted him to go to the ER.

We didn't know what was gonna happen.

I was getting the calls everyday and I was seeing what

was going on with hisvitals and everything that

was going wrong with him.

So yeah, it was scary.

- I had become septic.

I had started dialysis

because the kidneys were failing

and from there,

it was pretty much downhill.

- [Narrator] James spentseveral weeks going in and out

of consciousness ashis condition worsened.

- He was on a ventilator for 15 days.

He required beginning hemodialysis

because his kidneys had stopped working.

So his COVID case wouldhave been considered

a severe case of COVID-19.

- [Narrator] James' friendsset up a Facebook page

and began a prayer vigil for him.

Meanwhile, James decided to use this time

to grow spiritually.

- I took advantage ofthe time that I had away

to meditate and read scriptures

and become closer to God.

- [Narrator] At onepoint, James saw a vision.

- I felt like I was in a grave

and I was trying to pull myself up

to the sunlight.

I felt as though I saw the face of God

and He was reaching out his hand to me,

and all I could do wasbow down and worship.

My friends, my church members,

my family and people aroundthe world were praying for me.

- There were a few days where, you know,

we wondered if we weregoing to be able to wean him

from the ventilator or ifhis family was going to have

to make a decision regarding,considering a tracheostomy,

a feeding tube, things of that nature.

- [Narrator] Several months before,

James had written a songfor his deceased sister

that he says actually helped sustain him.

- Our pastor James Johnson had used

as our mission statement, Love Now.

Let us love not only in words and deeds,

but in truth and action.

So I sat at my piano, andusing the mission statement

of Love Now, the song wrote itself.

There were times that I was fighting,

not wanting to have the vent taken out.

But over a series of a fewdays that song was playing,

I finally calmed down and they were able

to remove the ventilation

and I was breathing pretty much on my own.

How could I have known that that song,

written for my sister,

would be part of themiraculous healing for me.

- [Narrator] James beganto turn the corner.

He was taken off the ventilator,

his kidneys began functioning better,

and he was transferredto another facility.

In all, he had beenhospitalized for 71 days.

- I truly believe thatprayer was part of it.

Every Wednesday night, we did that at 7:00

'cause that was our choir practice time.

So yes, I believe itwas truly a part of it,

of his healing.

- [Narrator] Since James was released

from Hendersonville TriStar Hospital,

he has made a near full recovery.

- I'm just overcome withjoy in his recovery.

He could have died.

And I think that God spared him,

and he is just a wonderfulsuccess story to his faith,

and also, the excellenthealth care that he received.

- There was a group of choirmembers and some of his friends

that had gathered and theywere singing, "Oh Happy Day."

So I think there couldn't havebeen a more appropriate song

for that day, cause it was a happy day.

- Not only is there amiracle that happened to me,

there is a miracle within every one of us

if we seek and find.

I know it was His healing grace and power

that gave me a second chance.

I donut consider myself lucky.

But I consider myself blessed.

(lively music)