An Answered Prayer Healed a Year of Pain

Richard says, “Knowing that Cindy was following me in her vehicle. And that was the other thing that I thought was I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye.”

On October 17, 2022, Richard and Cindy Palazzolo would face the beginning of a 15-month medical trial.

Richard recalls, “I felt these shock waves going through my arms, my chest, my back and my neck. It was pretty incapacitating.”

Cindy called 911. Within minutes the ambulance arrived. Richard was transported to the emergency room at Houston Methodist Willowbrook hospital.

Cindy remembers, “I was continuing to pray and got in touch with our kids, and our family and our friends to also be praying that God would protect him and that God would give these doctors wisdom to find out what's wrong.”

Richard shares, “I started praying silently to myself and just saying, ‘Lord, please help me.’ That's all I was able to do.”

The cardiologist who examined Richard believed there was a blockage in one of his arteries. The next morning, a heart catheterization performed revealed no blockages. So, Richard was released. Two days later, he began to feel the same sensations.

Richard says, “And I tried to fight through it, and they weren't going away, and they just kept intensifying.”

Cindy dialed 911 for help. She followed the ambulance to the ER when suddenly the siren lights were turned on.

Cindy says, “I just prayed God’s resurrection life to bring my husband to that place of healing and wholeness and to give the doctors wisdom to find out why this keeps happening to him.”

Carlos Manriquez, a paramedic with the fire department in the Houston area was the only EMT in back with Richard.

Carlos says, “Once I matched his appearance with that cardiac monitor, I knew that this was for real, this was happening.”

Richard remembers, “Everything became dimmer and dimmer and dimmer. So I said, please help me. I'm dying. And then that's the last thing that I remembered.”

Richard went into sudden cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. Carlos began to pray.

Carlos shares, “The first thing was, Lord, I need your help. I need you to do something right now, to save this man's life. I look at the monitor and I see a cardiac arrhythmia that's really lethal called torsade’s de point. It is extremely rare, cardiac dysrhythmia. I did not have enough time to defibrillate him, which is deliver an electric shock. Before I noticed that his heart rhythm converted itself into a normal sinus organized rhythm. The chances of coming back from that less than 1% without any pharmacology or electricity. It is almost impossible. He came back too, and I remember him looking at me saying, what happened? And I said, ‘you just died and came back to life.’ And it was just one of those, God, you know what? You, you really do exist. You know, it's a miracle.”

When they arrived at the hospital Carlos shared the miraculous event with Cindy.

Cindy remembers, “He goes, ma'am, ‘As I was turning to get ready to help him, all of a sudden Jesus came in that ambulance and I believe put the paddles on your husband's chest and brought him back to life. And it really is a miracle.’”

Doctors implanted a combination defibrillator pacemaker.  However, two days later, after having another episode, doctors diagnosed him with coronary artery spasms that were restricting his blood flow to and from his heart and gave him meds. After four days, Richard was released. Cindy, family members, and several pastors continued praying for Richard’s healing.

Richard shares, “God was just being pounded with all of those prayers. Knowing that people were praying for me was very comforting.”

Cindy says, “We can listen to the medical report. I had to listen to God's report. God's report said he will live and not die. God's report said He will make it through victoriously.”

Over the next two months, while Richard was in recovery he and Cindy prayed. They also visited a church where he received a word of knowledge from the pastor.

Cindy shares, “She saw the heart of a man in God's hands and said, ‘Your heart is healed, and you will live a long life to experience everything you want to experience in your life.’”

Richard says, “I just received it. We want to see our grandchildren grow up. Knowing that I’m going to be here for that now. Certainly, that was comforting.”

Richard went to the doctors who did further tests, and his electrophysiologist released him to begin exercising. He continues to take medicine for his heart and has been episode free since January 2023. He and Cindy have also been able to resume their full time Christian counseling practice where they speak at churches and conferences. They credit God and all of the prayers for his miraculous recovery.

Cindy says, “We would never be sitting here right now telling the miracle story without prayer. And not only our prayers, but prayers of many. So, no matter what you're facing, the bottom line is Luke 1:37. With man, it is I possible. But with God nothing is impossible.”

Richard shares, “Every single day. I never stop being grateful for what God has done for me. In fact, every morning when I pray, first thing I do is thank Jesus for saving my life.”