Martin recovering after open heart surgery
Not every story has a happy ending or a happy twist.
However, not all stories involve Chattanooganooga sports personalty Stump Martin.
Some people would say he’s a little twisted, in a good way.
My dad, the director for the City of East Ridge Parks and Recreation and host for Stump on Sports Late Night television show for 28 years, underwent open heart surgery on Friday, Sept. 27.
He received a triple bypass and a heart valve almost three monhs to the day following my mother, Deb Martin’s brain surgery. She suffered an aneurysm and has made a full recovery.
My family has relied on our faith, and prayers from the community to get them through one of the most challenging years in the Martin house.
“It’s a shame you’re having to do a story on the second parent in a year, but to God be the glory,” dad said. “Families get hit by sicknesses. We’ve kept the faith with Deb, and we’re going to keep the faith with myself... if you trust in the Lord, you’re going to get through things.”
Dad has shown the true perseverance of a champion in his short amount of time in the hospital. The surgery, scheduled for 6-8 hours, ended around four. He woke up hours before he was expected to following the procedure, and went to a regular room from the surgical intensive care unit two days before doctors had anticipated. Although he’s still understandably in a lot of pain, he’s treating his procedure like a game. He said it’s obvious prayers work, and he’s ready to “get back on the field.”
“You never know you have as many friends until something happens,” he said. “We’ve had so many miracles in our family. I guess it was my turn.”
On the morning following following the surgery, mom said she found him sitting in the recliner in his SICU room. He was asking for a newspaper,
glasses and his McCallie hat so he could catch up on sports and watch football.
She said he was “totally amazed.”
“God is great,” she said. “We were prepared for all the scenarios. I can’t get over how well everything has gone it’s proof that prayer works.”
Dad said it’s not a game to some people, but he still relates everything back to his old glory days as a Rossville Bulldog. It’s always helped him through the thick so to speak.
“My football coach Lynn Murdock taught us a long long time ago, that he wasn’t just preparing us for a football game,” he said. “He was preparing us for life. He would say, ‘one day you may have to fight for your life on the battlefield, or a job.’”
Dad said he feels a little beat up, like he’s played a football game. However, he’s prepared to do all of his rehab to get well soon and back to doing God’s work. That includes coaching his 13-under Choo-Choo City Mustangs, who won their fall baseball tournament in Dalton on Sunday.