Just weeks after celebrating what appeared to be a successful recovery from open-heart surgery, Rory Feek has shared that his 12-year-old daughter, Indiana, suffered a frightening post-surgical complication that left the family fearing the worst.
In a heartfelt blog post, Feek revealed that Indiana was rushed to the hospital in the early hours of July 9 after she began vomiting, feeling light-headed, and eventually collapsed, becoming briefly unresponsive.
"I'm not going to go into the moment-by-moment details... but let's just say that neither Rebecca, nor I, have been as scared in our lives as we were Thursday morning," Feek wrote. "We thought we had lost her."
Paramedics transported Indiana to a local hospital in Waco, Texas, where doctors discovered a dangerous buildup of fluid around her heart-a known complication that can sometimes occur following open-heart surgery. Medical staff quickly arranged for her to be airlifted by Life Flight helicopter to the Austin hospital where she had undergone surgery just two weeks earlier.
Once in Austin, surgeons performed an emergency procedure to drain the fluid surrounding her heart. According to Feek, doctors said her condition improved almost immediately.
"As soon as the drain went in, her heart rate immediately went back to normal," the family was told.
Indiana originally underwent open-heart surgery on June 25 to repair a ventricular septal defect (VSD), a congenital heart defect involving a hole between the heart's lower chambers. Her initial recovery had progressed so well that the family had already returned home to Waco before the unexpected medical emergency.
Despite the terrifying setback, Feek shared encouraging news that Indiana is now recovering following the second procedure, expressing deep gratitude for the doctors, first responders, and everyone who has been praying for their family.
Fans have continued flooding social media with messages of support as Indiana begins the next stage of her recovery.
