Wesley Smith is now at his Warsaw home recovering.
It's a far cry from a few weeks ago when the 71-year-old nearly lost his life while on a mission trip in Haiti.
Smith, who runs Full Life Crusades, was in Jeremie, Haiti, in February and the night before he was scheduled to leave he became ill.
Smith's temperature rose to 105.7 degrees and his daughter, Heidi, a nurse in Warsaw, decided to take him to a hospital in Haiti.
Alongside earthquake victims, Smith was placed on a gurney on the hospital floor.
A doctor later determined his lungs had filled up with blood.
With his condition worsening, Smith was taken by helicopter to the Red Cross ship, the USNS Comfort, to receive more advanced medical care.
While in Haiti, Smith was given 2.5 gallons of saline, which saved his life but also caused some heart damage.
Without any friends or family on the ship, Smith was able to once again fight off death as blood once again filled his lungs.
A 12-hour procedure took place on the boat to save his life.
After a five-day stay on the boat, Smith spent more time in a Tampa hospital before leaving and resting in Florida for another 11 days.
Smith said he was kept alive by the love of his family, friends and God.
"If I didn't know that I was loved, I sure know it now," said Smith in his blog.
Full Life Crusades has been supporting missions and taking trips to Haiti for more than 40 years. Smith's late wife, Primrose, was born and raised in Jeremie, Haiti, and her family founded a Christian church there 150 years ago.For more information on Smith's ordeal, visit his blog at www.weseds.blogspot.com
For more information on Full Life Crusades, visit www.flc7.com/home.html
