A heart of gold
Mayor Stowe’s faith never wavered
I was never worried about dying because I knew I was going to heaven. Real gold doesn’t fear fire, and my heart is filled with gold. MILT STOWE Porterville mayor and heart-transplant recipient
The Sunday service at Porterville Church of the Nazarene was special for a couple of reasons.
Not only was it themed around Father’s Day, but the guest speaker — who delivered a powerful message on the importance of faith in the face of adversity — was none other than Porterville Mayor Milt Stowe.
After a moving video montage showing images of fathers interacting with their families, the lights came up in the Port Naz worship center to show three people seated around a small table on stage: Stowe in the center, looking healthy and happy in a dark suit and tie and a bright smile, flanked by pastor Mark Pitcher on the left and wife Lorry on the right.
The message began with Pitcher moderating a question-and-answer session with the mayor and his wife that felt more like a conversation between close friends.
Pitcher asked about the mayor’s recent health issues, how they have prepared and coped during the process, and their next steps on his road to recovery.
The beloved and popular Stowe, who has been mayor of Porterville since 2014, is in the middle of a battle for his life with amyloidosis — a rare disease that produces an abnormal protein in the bone marrow that builds up in the organs and can cause organ failure.
The mayor’s heart was badly damaged by the disease, making it necessary for him to undergo heart transplant surgery in April at UCLA Medical Center.
In a few months, Stowe will undergo a second critical procedure, during which his bone marrow will be removed, cleaned and then re-in-
serted into his body.
But in the meantime, the mayor has a lot more pep in his step due to the successful heart transplant.
Stowe’s wife Lorry, who described the ordeal as an “emotional roller coaster” with numerous moments of anxiety, fear and loneliness, says she has noticed a big difference in his energy levels since the operation.
“Everyone knows Milt is energetic and is always talking to people,” said Lorry. “With the new heart he’s the same, but now I have to keep my Nike shoes on to keep up with him.”
Pitcher asked Milt what words of encouragement he would give to those facing challenges in their lives. Milt replied, “No matter what challenges you have, God will get you through it. You just have to accept him and have that faith.”
“Milt, you’re starting to sound a lot like a preacher,” said Pitcher with a smile, drawing a chuckle from the large congregation as well.
At that point, the Q-anda session transitioned into Milt’s message, entitled “Game Ready, Part Two” — an update to a message he delivered to the Port Naz congregation earlier this year prior to the heart transplant.
After beginning with some Father’s Day memories of his own, Milt shared anecdotes and reflections from his recent health struggles to illustrate the importance of having your spiritual priorities in order and being “game ready” with God should your time on Earth come to an end sooner than expected.
Milt recounted moments in his ordeal where it was clear to him that greater forces were at work. During a hospital stay in Fresno prior to his heart transplant, he went into cardiac arrest twice.
Both times, as medical staff attempted to revive him, Milt’s left hand inexplicably rose in the air as if reaching for something.
Only when his heart began beating again did his arm lower on its own.
“The doctors and nurses tried to push my arm down and it wouldn’t go down. My nurse said she’s resuscitated a lot of people, but she’s never seen anything like that,” said Milt.
Milt spent many weeks at UCLA Medical Center while doctors waited not just for a heart, but for the right heart for him. During that time many hearts became available, only to find out they were in poor shape, too far away, or were otherwise unsuitable for Milt.
Each time, Milt’s physicians and family would get their hopes up only to be disappointed again.
Every time doctors informed Milt of a setback, however, his response was a simple “all right,” and he demonstrated a peace and poise that never ceased to amaze the medical staff around him.
“I’ve become a warrior, not a worrier,” said Milt, who recalled what he said to his doctors: “You guys don’t understand. God is in control. He knows what He’s doing, and when it’s time He’ll give me the heart. Easter’s coming up, so maybe I’ll get one on Easter Sunday.”
Sure enough, the heart of a 19-year-old young man became available on Easter Sunday, and in a “textbook” procedure, it was placed into Milt.
The next day, Milt’s doctor said he’d never performed a transplant procedure so easy, to which Milt replied, “Well, you’ve never worked next to God before.”
Doctors said his original heart was “as hard as a football” and they didn’t know how he had survived so long with it in such poor shape.
Eight hours after the operation, Milt was up and walking around the hospital, wanting to do more and go further than staff would allow.
“I was never worried about dying because I knew I was going to heaven,” he said. “Real gold doesn’t fear fire, and my heart is filled with gold.”
After sharing how his journey has been shaped by his faith, Milt explained the purpose he now sees in the experience, and encouraged the congregation to strengthen their own walks with God and to be prepared.
“This was a way for God to show others what he can do in their lives through me,” he said. “Be game ready. Now’s the time. Don’t wait. I’m sure the 19-year-old young man whose heart is now inside me thought he had plenty of time.”