Chuck Shamata as Fire Chief No, for the past 15 minutes his lungs had been filled with raw lake water, his heart had stopped beating, and he lay motionless at the bottom of Lake Sainte Louise. As they were getting ready to leave for the U.S., all the bedsores were gone and her feet had straightened out. Punk Phil Hepner. He is affiliated with Progress West Hospital. You know, God is restoring everything back to this child,'" recalls his mother, Joyce.John was released from the hospital on February 4th, 16 days after rescuer Tommy Shine pulled him up from the bottom of the icy lake. and said his name, and a few seconds later we had a heartbeat," recalls pediatrician Dr. Nancy Bauer. Reached in a phone interview at home with his mother, John Smith begins his story as any young athlete would. -CBN, Yes. He didn't seem to know why I was there, made a big deal, Dr. Sutterer seemed distracted and uninvolved in my situation. And when John's heartbeat started right up it was like, 'Thank you, Lord, for being so merciful for me,' which just set my faith forever in bedrock. Sci-fi fans will recognize the name Roxann Dawson, known for her co-starring Klingon role in the TV series Star Trek: Voyager. In recent years, she has transitioned to directing such shows as The Americans and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. But, the teen didn't just survive the accident, he's thriving. In 2017, her memoir entitled The Impossible chronicled the story in detail backed up by 305 pages of medical records, says Smith. I was privileged to witness a miracle. There, doctors confirmed that the teen had multiple organ failure and showed barely any sign of neurological function. Joyce Smith says a prayer team of friends and family supplemented that treatment plan. Dr. Kent Sutterer, the doctor who treated 14-year-old John Smith, was quoted by USA Today having said that the boy was "dead for 45 minutes." "He was dead Continue reading Report: Missouri Mother Prays, Teenage Son Comes Back To Life 7,752,060 and 8,719,052. But for John Smith, what had begun as a fun day off from school with friends, Josh and his sister Jamie Rieger, and Josh Sander, quickly turned tragic. After arriving at the hospital, Dr. Kent Sutterer, played Sam Trammell, and his team attempted CPR, but John had not had a pulse for over 45 minutes. The question was raised: how long should they continue? Doctors were worried how much brain function he would have, but at this point it doesn't seem like there will be a problem. Dr. Sutterer frequently treats the following conditions: Tobacco Use Disorder, Abdominal Pain, and Acidosis. "I had to deal with answering the question of 'Why me?'" "Doctors told us that John wasn't going to live through the night," says Joyce Smith. I prayed all the way to the hospital, says Smith. Family practice physician Dr. Kent Sutterer was on-call in the emergency room. Normal is between 7.35 and 7.45. "He's like one of my kids," added Joyce. However, Garrett notes that Smith entered the water feet-first, which would not trigger this reflex. A recent hoax in South Africa confirms such stories are rife for manipulation. New U.S. guidelines require patients requiring anesthesia to be quizzed on marijuana use. Benes says that churches and the school have been doing their best to help the Smith family during this time. He even visited his school to thank all those praying for him . Editor's note: On Jan. 19, 2015, 14-year-old St. Charles boy John Smith fell through the ice on Lake Sainte Louise and was underwater for 15 minutes. We'd just won a basketball game, so we were just going to have a good time, but we weren't expecting that [with] one wrong move, we would be all one second away from dying." . I walk with a limp, but thats because I recently had a bad knee injury!. "It gave me goosebumps." "She was crying as is to be expected. See more on Healthgrades. You learn to appreciate life and start looking at things that matter. Years later, when producer Franklin set out to land on a director for his biopic about the Smiths, another adoption story came up. Yes. Abby Sutterer Isaac Kragten. Dr. Kent Sutterer, the lead emergency room physician at St. Joseph West that day, said he was starting to give up hope, so he brought John's mother, Joyce, into the room to say goodbye. Dr. Kent S Sutterer in St. Peters, MO Address: 9 St Anthony Drive, St. Peters, MO 63376 Phone: (636) 272 0008 Please call Dr. Kent at (636) 625 5200 to schedule an appointment in Lake Saint Louis MO or get more information. To date, no other person is known to have survived an hour without oxygen and recovered as well as John Smith has. Dr. Kent Sutterer, DO is affiliated with Progress West Hospital. No. His mother then came into the room and started praying loudly. Claiming is free and only takes a minute. She walked up to the end of the bed and touched his feet, which were the only part of his extremities that were uncovered. They found one lady in Switzerland who had a skiing accident, but it was only her head in the water and she only recovered 80 percent.. Use of this website and any information contained herein is governed by the Healthgrades User Agreement. We determined it was safe as, you know, three teen boys do. Check if Dr. Sutterer treats your condition or procedure. "You want to get into a mode when you can move, where you can do something.". New Month, New Movies: Which April Blockbuster Will You Be Seeing in Theaters First? Chuck Shamata as Fire Chief . Sam Trammell as Dr. Kent Sutterer, Abby's father. "Every day John made huge improvements," Noble said. Photo by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com, John Smith, front left in red suit, joins a portion of the cast as well as the original first responders for a group portrait on the red carpet before the premier of "Breakthrough" on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 in Des Peres. But as John lies lifeless, Joyce refuses to give up. The very moment that I needed God, he was there instantly. Dr. Sutterer had recognized John when he was brought into the ER because his daughter was in John's 8th grade class. He doesn't have any neurologic deficits, all the things that we expect in these things. He had never heard of such a medical miracle. Then Brian Smith began to travel to Latin America for humanitarian mission trips, including building schools for children. Friends gathered at the hospital to pray for John. He says that when the doctors tested John's lungs, expecting to find rampant and intense infection due to the intake of raw, dirty lake water, the test came back as sterile. Smith and his mother, Joyce Smith, were leaving the hospital after his recovery and discharge. Josh Nikolas Dukic. No one questions that a family experienced considerable trauma in a medical crisis, but supernatural intervention? Sutterer's daughter happens to be in the same eighth grade class with John. The team behind the film maintain that facts have been medically verified, and the story on-screen reflects accounts from multiple sources. Please double-check when making an appointment. For many St. Louis-area children, January 19, 2015, was a day off from school in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A 14-year old St. Charles, Mo. After being rushed to the hospital, the 14-year-old boy continues to fight for his life as Joyce, her husband and their pastor stay by his bedside and pray for a miracle. his heartbeat started.". Every day, they fed her and held her, he continues. Dazie Suominen - N 10 St, London, Ontario. The first being when the Smiths adopted him from a Guatemalan orphanage when he was just five months old; the next being his decision to accept Christ; and January 19th being the third. Dr. Kent Sutterer SAM TRAMMELL Keith SCOTT JOHNSON Trauma Room Nurse #1 MELANIE MARGINET Trauma Room Nurse #2 ELENA ANCIRO Trauma Room Nurse #3 REBEKAH GRENKOW . Dr. Garrett said, "It's a bonafide miracle.". John said he and another boy had spent the night at a classmates home in Lake Saint Louis the night before the accident because they were off that Monday for Martin Luther King Day. Louise has made a recovery no one can explain. Dr. Michael Snyder, MD. 5551 Winghaven Blvd Ste 132 O Fallon, MO 63368. Did anyone with his criteria ever survive? Sutterer ordered that he be airlifted to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital 40 miles away in St. Louis, with its fully equipped intensive care unit. At 5-foot-3, John is short even for a point guard, but according to his mom, he burns up the court., John Smith, 14, looks at wounds that have almost healed after his near-death experience from falling through the ice at Lake Sainte Louise in St. Charles County on Martin Luther King Day. When she entered the room where CPR was still being performed on her son, she began "praying loudly," said Sutterer. His current practice location address is 9 St Anthony Drive, , St. Peters, Missouri . The morning of January 19, 2015 began for Joyce Smith like any other. "When [John's friend's mother] called, she sounded off. John Smith was dead. BREAKTHROUGH is based on the incredible true story of one mother's unfaltering love in the face of impossible odds. Chrissy Metz (third from left) plays Joyce Smith and Marcel Ruiz plays John Smith. Dawson strived to bring authenticity to the portrayal of this adoptive family. "But I remember, 'Holy God, please send your Holy Spirit to save my son. . /en/features/doctors-say-john-smith-is-bona-fide-miracle. Joyce asked for the bottom line. And it was there than Noble says he had a vision of two angels in the room and lights over John's head. They used a defibrillator on John intending to restart his heart, gave him epinephrine shots, and performed CPR all to no avail. It was definitely fighting for our lives., Smith pushed one friend towards the surface, causing him to descend out of reach in the ice-cold water. Medical professionals who managed the boys care, including Sutterer and Garrett, have gone on-the-record in multiple interviews, including for Cardinal Glennon Childrens Hospital. Joyce wrote a book about her son John Smith's drowning and resurrection, titled The Impossible, which became the basis for the Breakthrough movie. Taylor Mosby as Chayla, one of John's friends. Your True Crime Obsessions: The Latest Case Updates You Need to Know About, Elizabeth Smart "Thrilled" Missing Teen Jayme Closs Was Found Alive: "What a Miracle". He's completely the same boy that he was before." "I'd talked to him moments before he went into the water," Joyce Smith said. As the medical team defined daily concerns, Smith sent them on to what became a multi-state prayer team. Traveling to China, the Dawsons found a baby girl malnourished in an orphanage crib. And within moments, he started to have a heartbeat," Joyce recalled. Last season, he scored 30 points in one game against a pretty decent team. Nancy Benes, principal at Living Word Christian Middle School, says that following John's miraculous survival, an evangelist spoke at their Thursday-morning chapel. The report on Johns lungs came back sterile.. Did the community hold a vigil for John outside the hospital? As for John, he hopes to one day become a pastor. Dr. Garrett, who had no expectation for John to recover, expressed his total shock and calls this kind of recovery a bona fide miracle. But the interventions of modern medicine are not what John's mother was counting on. I believe every word of that, John said. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. I don't wanna die!'" I wouldnt be where I am now, with a track record of success, if I had been afraid to voice my Christian beliefs.. John Smith, 14, of St. Charles had been submerged for about 15 minutes on Jan. 19 before emergency workers found him and pulled him out of the frigid water. Two doctors who treated a 14-year-old boy thought to be dead after he spent 15 minutes under water believe they witnessed a "miracle" when he revived within a minute of his mother's plea to God to. Employs friendly staff. The acidosis in John's lungs was originally measured at a 6.6 pH level. John and Josh Sander were about 150 feet from shore when suddenly John fell through the ice. Maddy Martin as Abby Sutterer, Dr. Sutterer's daughter and John's love interest. The doctor"told me that John wasn't going to live through the night and if he lived he was going to be a vegetable," Joyce told People. I know that God has given us a gift, even if it is only for a few days. Peck, who headed the med school from 1989 to 2003, is credited with improving its international reputation in teaching, research and clinical practice, Whistleblower Jamie Reed, who worked at the transgender center between 2018 and 2022, said staff too freely prescribed medications and did not. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray, Harriet Hageman To Blast Fish And Wildlife Service Sob Sessions On 'Ecogrief', In A Just World, Cocaine Bear Would Sweep The Oscars, 5 Riveting Films Snubbed By The Academy Awards, If Hollywood Werent So Submissive To Chinese Communists, It Would Make These Heroic Movies, Questioning Bidens Ukraine Policy Doesnt Make You An Isolationist, 6 Ways The Censorship Complex Silences Speech It Doesnt Want You To Say Or Hear, Why It Matters That Im A Mother, Not A Generic Parent Or Grown-Up, American College Of OB-GYNs Bans Pro-Life Doctors From Conference After They Show Up. "I had a lot of issues," he said of his pre-accident self. Then check out a demonstration of how to get out of the water after falling through the ice. John was stabilized and airlifted to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital in St. Louis. Smith was discharged after recovering from his near-drowning experience in Lake Sainte Louise on Martin Luther King Day. John gets good grades at Living Word Christian School, where his favorite subject is Earth sciences, and he loves basketball. His resurrection story inspired a movie. COVID-19: learn the latest about COVID-19 vaccines and testing. Dr. Sutterer wrote a note immediately following the experience. This is because the lake water was only 40 degrees and John's body temperature only dropped to 88 degrees, which isn't cold enough to adequately protect the brain. As two friends tried to rescue Smith, it gave way under them as well. Isaac Kragten Josh . At that time, Dr. Kent Sutterer stated Smith had been "dead" for 45 minutes and his chances of survival were poor. . Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com. Dr. Kent Sutterer, John's Emergency Room doctor was preparing to tell his mother that she needed to come say goodbye to her son. I also don't know that John Smith will ever be the same as he was before he fell through the ice. Locations; About Me; Ratings & Reviews 100 Medical Plaza. See all patient feedback on Healthgrades. "I'm thinking to myself, 'They're wrong. He has more than brainstem function, because he is looking around the room and he knows who people are. Smith, shown at Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Centeron Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2015, was waiting to be discharged. Mother prayed. . 2023 The Federalist, A wholly independent division of FDRLST Media. Isaac Kragten as Josh, one of John's friends. Dr. Kent Steven Sutterer's practice location is listed as: 9 St Anthony Drive St. Peters, MO 63376 and can be reached via phone at (636) 272-0008. Smith had been underwater for 15 minutes on Jan. 19, 2015, at the age of 14 before he was rescued. After John succumbed to the frigid lake and drowned, his lifeless body was discovered on the rocky bottom. One theory some have advanced is that cold water activated his diving reflex, wherein oxygen is conserved to vital organs as the heart rate slows. This bed is awful, and Im not eating hospital food any more, he said. After examining John, Dr. Garrett called the family in. The ratings and comments submitted by patients reflect their own views and opinions. John had already gone under. Daughter #1 CALLIE LANE Mom #2 DANIELLE SAVAGE Daughter #2 ISLA GORTON E.R. The NPI number of Kent Sutterer is 1114964574 and was assigned on June 2006. "I see three 14-year-old boys who were being dumb on the ice and that fell through, and that the Lord saved us," says John. Her son John had been without a pulse for roughly an hour and the doctors had been trying to revive him for half an hour. No longer was he struggling to maintain his desperate grip on the edge of the ice or flailing his arms in a final and terrifying attempt to stay afloat. He walked in and said, OK, I have no explanation for this. And I know at least some of those decisions were related to John's experience, because I asked them.". -FOX 11, Yes. Dude lectured me like I was a kid about how the ER only finds life threatening solutions and due to, Extremely Poor Experience With This Doctor. Chrissy Metz (third from left) plays Joyce Smith and Marcel Ruiz plays John Smith. We were always Pentecostal and attended Assemblies of God churches, she says I have seen the miraculous all my life., Smith circles back to the odds stacked against her son. Dr. Kent S Sutterer has primarily specialised in Emergency Medicine for over 22 years. "What I believe is that God was putting his brain back together again, almost rewiring it," Noble told the Post-Dispatch. The next morning, Garrett was surprised by the boys improvement and formulated a multi-step plan to triage his vital systems. Yes. I was preparing myself to give a mother the final bad news that her son was gone from this world. Dr. Kent Sutterer . "I believe God is raising up a generation and showing His might to them so they will trust and proclaim Him as God," Joyce says. He by searching our wide variety of specialty directories: Back and Neck Surgery (Except Spinal Fusion). Only half an hour after her text conversation with him, Joyce Smith received the call: her son had been underwater for 15 minutes and had no pulse. When Joyce Smith's adopted son John falls through an icy Missouri lake, all hope seems lost. He said that though the argument never happened, it did represent what they were going through as a church at that time. But the doctor didn't reveal he was about ready to pronounce . It was almost nine months later to the day that we got John, recalls Smith. When they got there, her feet were contorted and she had all these bedsores.. 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