Pastor John Gray hospitalized with life-threatening saddle pulmonary embolism

Megachurch Pastor John Gray has been hospitalized with a life-threatening pulmonary embolism he called an “illegal transaction from Hell” as his wife, Aventer, is urging his followers to bombard Heaven with prayers so her husband can receive a “miracle” from God.

Gray, 49, who leads Relentless Church, which has campuses in Greenville, South Carolina, and Powder Springs, Georgia, was admitted to the critical care unit at an undisclosed hospital, according to an Instagram post from his wife on Sunday.

“My family and I stand in need of a miracle. Please keep my husband @realjohngray in your prayers,” Aventer Gray began in her post.

“After feeling a little different over the past couple weeks, he went to the ER on Thursday evening and was immediately admitted to CCU with a saddle Pulmonary Embolism in the pulmonary artery and more lung blood clots. The Saddle PE is in a position that could potentially end his life if it shifts at all,” she explained.

“The clot burden is severe and only God is holding it in place. He is currently in CCU and based on CT & Echo we will need two types of surgery due to the pressure now on the heart within the next 24 hours. To place this in perspective, the doctor said that people have come into the hospital dead with this exact scenario he walked in with.”

A saddle pulmonary embolism, according to Medical News Today, is a rare type of acute pulmonary embolism that occurs when a large blood clot gets “lodged at the intersection where the main pulmonary artery divides and branches off into the left and right lungs.”

Since the pulmonary artery carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs to become reoxygenated, the condition limits blood supply to critical organs like the brain, heart and kidneys. If the condition is not treated urgently, it can lead to heart failure and sudden death. The condition is triggered by a number of factors, such as obesity.

The majority of people with the condition generally survive. One study shows the mortality rate for the condition is 3.62%.

Both Gray and his wife addressed their church remotely through video and telephone calls on Sunday as they leaned on their congregation for support.

“My husband is fighting for his life right now. And I have no idea how I’m able to sit here in front of a camera and speak to you other than the God that I serve,” Aventer said in a video. Read more …