Alfredo Santos

“Last year, on Friday, January 22, I began to feel chills and a strong lower-back pain. The pain worsened during the night. The following day, my wife took me to a clinic for a check-up and they gave me a COVID test. It came out negative, so they gave me steroids and sent me home.

But the pain didn’t stop. The following Wednesday, I became very pale and fainted. My wife called 911. She also left an audio in my church’s WhatsApp group asking for their prayers.

The paramedics took my vital signs and said my pressure was low. They couldn’t understand how I was still alive. They took me to the hospital and did another COVID test. This time it came back positive, but I was told I could not stay in the hospital. My wife picked me up and I went home.

History repeated itself on Thursday. I felt weakened and sore. We had another 911 call. I was told it was COVID and was sent home. Without knowing what to do, I just prayed. That Saturday, January 30, when I could no longer breath, I said goodbye to my wife and told her to call the pastor to anoint me. My wife called, and I was anointed by phone while 911 arrived. I had placed my life in God’s hands.

This time I was hospitalized, and my church called a vigil by Zoom for my health. In those moments a miracle happened. The doctor and the nurses left me alone when someone dressed in white came in. I still remember his expression of love and kindness. He said, ‘Don’t worry. I am your doctor. I’ve come to see you because I like to personally attend to my patients.’ He looked at me with eyes of compassion, and then left.

The following day, a man came into my room and introduced himself as my doctor. I asked him, ‘Oh, did you work last night?’ and he said ‘No, last night was a female doctor.’ I tried to describe the doctor who visited me, but he said there wasn’t a doctor in the hospital who fit that description.

That’s when I knew that Jesus had been with me. The recovery process was slow, but I know one thing for sure: my Lord Jesus never abandoned me. He was there with me in those difficult moments. He was my doctor who said, ‘I will take care of you.’”

-Alfredo Santos, from the Nashville First Hispanic Church.