The country music community is still praying - and there is reason to keep going.
Bill Cody, the longtime WSM Radio host and Grand Ole Opry announcer who has been in the ICU for more than three weeks battling simultaneous heart and kidney failure, has cleared one of the most critical hurdles in his fight for survival.
His daughter Hannah confirmed that Bill has passed all the medical tests needed to qualify for a transplant, and she thanked everyone who prayed, calling it an answered prayer.
But the battle is far from over. Hannah confirmed the family is still searching for a donor and asked supporters to pray specifically that the transplant team, which meets on Tuesdays, will find a match and get him placed on the transplant list.
His condition remains serious. As previously reported, Cody's heart strength declined sharply over the weekend, prompting doctors to intubate him and place him on ECMO - an advanced life support machine that continuously pumps blood outside the body and adds oxygen to the lungs.
Hannah asked supporters to pray specifically that he avoids ECMO-related complications including stroke, blood clots, and infection, and that the treatment gives his body enough strength to remain transplant-eligible.
Cody began his radio career in Kentucky in 1971, joined WSM-AM Nashville in 1994, was inducted into the Country Music Disc Jockey Hall of Fame in 2008, and received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame in 2024.
For more than three decades, his voice opened mornings for country music listeners through Coffee, Country and Cody and anchored the Grand Ole Opry's broadcast legacy.
The outpouring of support from the country music community has continued, with Dierks Bentley, Jake Owen, Mark Wills, Sunny Sweeney, and The War and Treaty all posting public prayers for Bill and his family.
Hannah's words remain the family's anchor: "We need a miracle and we know God is able." The prayers are still needed. Please keep Bill Cody and his family in yours.
Related Article: Grand Ole Opry Voice Bill Cody Is Fighting for His Life: His Daughter Is Asking the World to Pray
