1 00:00:37,970 --> 00:00:41,531 Speaker 1: Hey friends, it's Kelly from Life Audio. We just launched 2 00:00:41,531 --> 00:00:45,171 Speaker 1: something new. It's called The Good Word, our free weekly 3 00:00:45,251 --> 00:00:48,091 Speaker 1: newsletter built for people who want to go a little 4 00:00:48,171 --> 00:00:54,051 Speaker 1: deeper in their faith. Thank devotionals, guided prayers, curated podcast recommendations, 5 00:00:54,131 --> 00:00:57,331 Speaker 1: and a little community all in one place. No ads, 6 00:00:57,731 --> 00:01:00,170 Speaker 1: just good content. This one means a lot to us. 7 00:01:00,451 --> 00:01:03,211 Speaker 1: We built The Good Word based on the audience survey 8 00:01:03,491 --> 00:01:05,811 Speaker 1: so many of you filled out a few months back. 9 00:01:05,971 --> 00:01:08,450 Speaker 1: You told us what you wanted and we listened. So 10 00:01:08,611 --> 00:01:11,530 Speaker 1: thank you truly for helping us shape this. Head to 11 00:01:11,571 --> 00:01:14,211 Speaker 1: the link in the show notes and join our community today. 12 00:01:14,411 --> 00:01:15,411 Speaker 1: We'd love to have you. 13 00:01:19,851 --> 00:01:24,691 Speaker 2: Hello, friends, Welcome to story Behind podcast. This is the 14 00:01:24,731 --> 00:01:27,891 Speaker 2: show for people who love hearing a good story and 15 00:01:27,931 --> 00:01:31,410 Speaker 2: who believe the world could use more positivity. We're the 16 00:01:31,450 --> 00:01:34,651 Speaker 2: team behind God Updates and God to and we hope 17 00:01:34,691 --> 00:01:37,291 Speaker 2: these weekly short stories will brighten your day. 18 00:01:42,571 --> 00:01:46,970 Speaker 3: Welcome back, friends, loyal listeners, and welcome in first timers 19 00:01:47,571 --> 00:01:53,371 Speaker 3: to the Story Behind inspiring stories, positive headlines from God Updates. 20 00:01:53,891 --> 00:01:56,891 Speaker 3: We are a production of life Audio dot com and 21 00:01:56,971 --> 00:02:00,331 Speaker 3: we also get our stories at GodTube dot com, where 22 00:02:00,571 --> 00:02:04,011 Speaker 3: you can watch without worry. Each of us stories on 23 00:02:04,251 --> 00:02:08,691 Speaker 3: the story behind feature a video component that our team 24 00:02:08,731 --> 00:02:12,771 Speaker 3: has found in their searches at GodTube and has written 25 00:02:12,851 --> 00:02:17,131 Speaker 3: up the inspiring story about. This week, We've got a 26 00:02:17,171 --> 00:02:19,891 Speaker 3: couple of stories about fathers for you. 27 00:02:20,411 --> 00:02:20,491 Speaker 2: Now. 28 00:02:20,531 --> 00:02:22,251 Speaker 3: I know that can be tricky for some of us 29 00:02:22,331 --> 00:02:26,210 Speaker 3: who may not have had the best examples of God 30 00:02:26,291 --> 00:02:28,891 Speaker 3: on Earth with our own fathers. But these two are 31 00:02:28,971 --> 00:02:32,451 Speaker 3: pretty heroics. So I'll be back in just a second 32 00:02:33,011 --> 00:02:37,531 Speaker 3: with the first story about a father who donated kidney 33 00:02:37,971 --> 00:02:40,251 Speaker 3: to one of his children to save their life. Be 34 00:02:40,370 --> 00:02:50,971 Speaker 3: right back, all right, So let's get underway with this 35 00:02:51,011 --> 00:02:55,331 Speaker 3: week's episode. This story is written by Mikaela Gordonai and 36 00:02:55,411 --> 00:02:59,891 Speaker 3: it is called father saves his teenage son's life by 37 00:02:59,931 --> 00:03:04,090 Speaker 3: donating one of his kidneys. A North Texas father donated 38 00:03:04,131 --> 00:03:06,491 Speaker 3: a kidney to his son after he was diagnosed with 39 00:03:06,531 --> 00:03:11,131 Speaker 3: a genetic disease called Alport syndrome. After doing twelve hour 40 00:03:11,291 --> 00:03:15,171 Speaker 3: rounds of dialysis, seventeen year old Blake Martin's is back 41 00:03:15,251 --> 00:03:18,571 Speaker 3: to doing what he loves, playing lacrosse for hours every day, 42 00:03:18,651 --> 00:03:23,050 Speaker 3: and it's all thanks to his dad. At seven months old, 43 00:03:23,171 --> 00:03:29,011 Speaker 3: doctors realized Blake had a multi cystic dysplastic kidney, which 44 00:03:29,011 --> 00:03:31,490 Speaker 3: occurred because it did not fully develop in the womb. 45 00:03:31,971 --> 00:03:34,571 Speaker 3: We had that removed when he was one year old. 46 00:03:34,611 --> 00:03:38,571 Speaker 3: The belief and expectation were that he was fine. His dad, 47 00:03:38,651 --> 00:03:42,931 Speaker 3: Bill Martin's, said, for sixteen years Blake was fine, but 48 00:03:43,011 --> 00:03:47,331 Speaker 3: then he suddenly went into end stage renal failure and 49 00:03:47,491 --> 00:03:51,051 Speaker 3: was diagnosed with outpoort syndrome, which damages the small blood 50 00:03:51,131 --> 00:03:55,251 Speaker 3: vessels and the kidneys. Blake needed a transplant, so Bill 51 00:03:55,851 --> 00:03:58,131 Speaker 3: did not hesitate to give him one of his own. 52 00:03:58,891 --> 00:04:01,611 Speaker 3: I remember feeling that a part of me is gone 53 00:04:01,651 --> 00:04:05,011 Speaker 3: with the kidney removed from me, that's now in my son. 54 00:04:05,131 --> 00:04:09,491 Speaker 3: It's amazing. It's a remarkable experience. You're saving someone's life. 55 00:04:09,531 --> 00:04:13,171 Speaker 3: Bill Martin's said. Two months after the surgery, Blake went 56 00:04:13,211 --> 00:04:15,891 Speaker 3: from long hours in a hospital bed to running around 57 00:04:16,371 --> 00:04:20,171 Speaker 3: and captaining his senior lacrosse team. Now he plans to 58 00:04:20,211 --> 00:04:24,051 Speaker 3: attend Southern Methodist University, where he will continue playing lacrosse. 59 00:04:24,571 --> 00:04:27,171 Speaker 3: He still has to take medicine every day to make 60 00:04:27,171 --> 00:04:30,291 Speaker 3: sure his body doesn't reject the kidney, but looks at 61 00:04:30,291 --> 00:04:33,570 Speaker 3: his dad with immense gratitude for his sacrifice and looks 62 00:04:33,611 --> 00:04:37,611 Speaker 3: forward to having a full life. They can rest knowing 63 00:04:37,651 --> 00:04:40,171 Speaker 3: the word worst is behind them. It's wonderful that Blake's 64 00:04:40,211 --> 00:04:42,330 Speaker 3: father was able to be a match for him, and 65 00:04:42,371 --> 00:04:45,051 Speaker 3: that he is doing so well now. I think it's 66 00:04:45,091 --> 00:04:47,450 Speaker 3: safe to say that this year Bill might have won 67 00:04:47,571 --> 00:04:51,570 Speaker 3: Father's Day. As it says in One John three sixteen. 68 00:04:52,091 --> 00:04:54,371 Speaker 3: By this we know love that he laid down his 69 00:04:54,411 --> 00:04:57,411 Speaker 3: life for us, and we ought to lay down our 70 00:04:57,451 --> 00:05:01,330 Speaker 3: lives for the brothers. While we thank God for this 71 00:05:01,451 --> 00:05:06,211 Speaker 3: story of the Martins and how Blake is recovering, I'll 72 00:05:06,491 --> 00:05:09,811 Speaker 3: take a minute to recompose myself and be right back 73 00:05:10,211 --> 00:05:28,211 Speaker 3: with another fantastic father story. Be right back, all right. 74 00:05:28,291 --> 00:05:30,371 Speaker 3: I've got a fresh cup of coffee, and I am 75 00:05:30,531 --> 00:05:33,971 Speaker 3: back thinking about fathers this week. You know, my own 76 00:05:34,011 --> 00:05:36,971 Speaker 3: father was the best man in my wedding. He was 77 00:05:37,411 --> 00:05:39,890 Speaker 3: my best friend, and he was actually my pet project 78 00:05:39,931 --> 00:05:42,051 Speaker 3: for many years when he wanted nothing to do with 79 00:05:42,091 --> 00:05:45,731 Speaker 3: the Lord, but stuck with it, and he accepted price 80 00:05:45,771 --> 00:05:49,450 Speaker 3: offer salvation four years before he passed in two thousand 81 00:05:49,491 --> 00:05:53,851 Speaker 3: and one from ocular melanoma. And one time, when I 82 00:05:53,931 --> 00:05:57,011 Speaker 3: was two years old, he actually snatched me out of 83 00:05:57,211 --> 00:06:02,011 Speaker 3: a swimming pool where I might have drowned. So this 84 00:06:02,291 --> 00:06:06,171 Speaker 3: story about another father who noticed something happening in the 85 00:06:06,211 --> 00:06:09,251 Speaker 3: pool really was near and dear to my heart. So 86 00:06:09,931 --> 00:06:12,771 Speaker 3: we'll get to this one, and this is written by 87 00:06:12,971 --> 00:06:16,891 Speaker 3: Heather Riggleman. When his seven year old son had a 88 00:06:16,891 --> 00:06:21,451 Speaker 3: stroke in the pool, this father saved his life. Parenthood 89 00:06:21,491 --> 00:06:24,890 Speaker 3: has a way of making you hyper aware of the 90 00:06:24,931 --> 00:06:28,891 Speaker 3: people you love most. You notice the limps, the size, 91 00:06:29,371 --> 00:06:31,971 Speaker 3: the half eaten dinners, and the shadows behind their smiles. 92 00:06:32,771 --> 00:06:35,531 Speaker 3: You carry their stories in your heart long before they 93 00:06:35,571 --> 00:06:38,611 Speaker 3: know how to tell them themselves. That's why this story 94 00:06:38,651 --> 00:06:42,090 Speaker 3: about one little boy and his father's quick thinking stopped 95 00:06:42,130 --> 00:06:46,091 Speaker 3: me in my tracks. One minute, Gino Mueller was headed 96 00:06:46,091 --> 00:06:49,691 Speaker 3: towards the swimming pool for a summer day of fun. Next, 97 00:06:50,251 --> 00:06:53,771 Speaker 3: his father was staring at every parent's worst nightmare. As 98 00:06:53,771 --> 00:06:55,851 Speaker 3: he walked into the pool, I noticed that he was 99 00:06:55,931 --> 00:06:59,291 Speaker 3: staggering a little bit, and I noticed that his face 100 00:06:59,531 --> 00:07:03,731 Speaker 3: was drooping. Beau Mueller recalled, said, Jane, are you okay? 101 00:07:04,491 --> 00:07:07,811 Speaker 3: What happened next may have saved his son's life. Bo 102 00:07:08,091 --> 00:07:11,971 Speaker 3: immediately recognized the signs of a stroke. It's not something 103 00:07:12,491 --> 00:07:14,371 Speaker 3: most of us expect to see in a child. We 104 00:07:14,451 --> 00:07:18,971 Speaker 3: hear the word stroke and think of adults, grandparents, older people, 105 00:07:19,611 --> 00:07:21,571 Speaker 3: not a little boy splashing at the pool on a 106 00:07:21,611 --> 00:07:25,011 Speaker 3: summer afternoon, for sure. But Bo trusted what he was 107 00:07:25,051 --> 00:07:28,851 Speaker 3: seeing for me as daddy, it was terrifying. Bo said, 108 00:07:28,971 --> 00:07:31,531 Speaker 3: I was thinking he's going to die. That's what was 109 00:07:31,571 --> 00:07:35,531 Speaker 3: going through my head. Meanwhile, little Gino knew something wasn't 110 00:07:35,571 --> 00:07:38,531 Speaker 3: right too. I could touch Dad with my left arm, 111 00:07:38,571 --> 00:07:41,051 Speaker 3: but I couldn't really touch him with my right arm. 112 00:07:41,091 --> 00:07:41,530 Speaker 1: He said. 113 00:07:42,051 --> 00:07:45,971 Speaker 3: It was pretty scary. Lifeguards called nine one one, and 114 00:07:46,171 --> 00:07:50,771 Speaker 3: Gino was rushed to Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital, where doctors 115 00:07:50,811 --> 00:07:54,091 Speaker 3: performed emergency surgery to remove a clot from his brain. 116 00:07:54,811 --> 00:07:57,251 Speaker 3: The young boy was already at a higher risk because 117 00:07:57,291 --> 00:08:00,851 Speaker 3: he was born with a heart defect. His mother, Adrianne Mueller, 118 00:08:00,971 --> 00:08:04,251 Speaker 3: explained that Gino received his first pacemaker when he was 119 00:08:04,411 --> 00:08:07,531 Speaker 3: just three months old and underwent open heart surgery at 120 00:08:07,571 --> 00:08:11,011 Speaker 3: age three to repair a micro valve issue. What amazes 121 00:08:11,051 --> 00:08:14,131 Speaker 3: me is how quickly everything changed because one dad paid attention. 122 00:08:14,851 --> 00:08:18,411 Speaker 3: As moms and dads, we often second guess ourselves. We 123 00:08:18,451 --> 00:08:22,371 Speaker 3: wonder if we're overreacting. We tell ourselves it's probably nothing. 124 00:08:22,851 --> 00:08:25,291 Speaker 3: But Bo listened to that instinct God gave him and 125 00:08:25,411 --> 00:08:28,811 Speaker 3: acted fast. Today, Gino was back in school with no 126 00:08:29,011 --> 00:08:34,091 Speaker 3: lasting developmental effects from the stroke. Thank god. Doctors say 127 00:08:34,331 --> 00:08:38,611 Speaker 3: recognizing stroke symptoms quickly can make all the difference. In 128 00:08:38,651 --> 00:08:41,570 Speaker 3: Gino's case, it meant the difference between tragedy and a 129 00:08:41,611 --> 00:08:44,811 Speaker 3: little boy returning to school, playing with friends, and getting 130 00:08:44,810 --> 00:08:48,771 Speaker 3: back to being a kid. Sometimes heroism doesn't look like 131 00:08:48,891 --> 00:08:52,611 Speaker 3: capes or headlines. Sometimes it looks just like a dad 132 00:08:52,771 --> 00:08:56,970 Speaker 3: noticing a drooping smile and refusing to ignore it, as 133 00:08:57,011 --> 00:08:59,451 Speaker 3: it says in Psalm ninety one to eleven, or he 134 00:08:59,491 --> 00:09:02,571 Speaker 3: will command his angels concerning you to guard you in 135 00:09:02,611 --> 00:09:05,491 Speaker 3: all your ways. It's been a pleasure being with you 136 00:09:05,571 --> 00:09:09,331 Speaker 3: this week thinking about heroic fathers and how the good 137 00:09:09,371 --> 00:09:12,571 Speaker 3: ones in our lives when we look around, just like 138 00:09:12,611 --> 00:09:14,771 Speaker 3: little Gino's dad did, when we take the time to 139 00:09:14,851 --> 00:09:17,971 Speaker 3: notice and look around and see stories, and why we 140 00:09:18,091 --> 00:09:21,491 Speaker 3: bring you the story behind each week so you can 141 00:09:21,530 --> 00:09:25,050 Speaker 3: experience the stories behind the bad news and see that 142 00:09:25,171 --> 00:09:28,131 Speaker 3: good news and miracles are still going on. It's great 143 00:09:28,131 --> 00:09:30,570 Speaker 3: to have had a chance to remember all that and 144 00:09:30,691 --> 00:09:33,291 Speaker 3: to remind us as we go into our next couple days. 145 00:09:33,331 --> 00:09:36,731 Speaker 3: Until I'm back with you, take a look around, see 146 00:09:36,731 --> 00:09:41,051 Speaker 3: how you can help and run towards it. Thank you, Lord, Amen, 147 00:09:41,771 --> 00:09:48,091 Speaker 3: enjoy your day. 148 00:09:52,211 --> 00:09:55,371 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to Story Behind podcast. 149 00:09:55,891 --> 00:09:58,171 Speaker 2: We're really glad you joined us for this week's story. 150 00:09:58,971 --> 00:10:01,411 Speaker 2: To see photos and videos that may have been referenced 151 00:10:01,410 --> 00:10:04,251 Speaker 2: in this episode, check out the links in the show notes, 152 00:10:04,811 --> 00:10:07,731 Speaker 2: and if you enjoyed what you heard today, subscribe to 153 00:10:07,771 --> 00:10:11,331 Speaker 2: our podcast and please tell a friend about us. We'd 154 00:10:11,331 --> 00:10:13,371 Speaker 2: also love it if you'd rate us and leave us 155 00:10:13,410 --> 00:10:16,331 Speaker 2: a review. It really does help more people find us. 156 00:10:16,931 --> 00:10:19,651 Speaker 2: Story Behind is a Salem Web Network production.