February is a month when we think about matters of the heart. This story journals the heart-wrenching journey of a Harris County family who lost their adult son to heart disease last summer.
Grant Martin was a cute little kid with an incredibly unique personality. His dad, Phil, says his first-born son knew how to put a smile on your face.
"Grant had a great sense of humor. That's one of the things he was known for," says Phil. "I remember when he was a little kid coming to me and I said, do you want to watch TV tonight? He said yeah, I want to watch what we watched yester night. And then one time going to the kitchen, I saw him holding up a milk jug, and I said, what are you doing? He said, I'm looking for the inspiration date. He just had this unique way about him."
Grant's mother, Amy, loved the compassion her son displayed. "He definitely had a tender heart, very caring. He was a gift giver. If he was going to give a gift, he put a lot of thought into what he was going to give. He just had a heart for other people."
But that heart had problems which showed up even before Grant was born. Amy says, "When I was pregnant with Grant, they found out at 20 weeks that he had a heart condition. It's sort of like all the plumbing was there but it was completely backwards." Grant did not need surgery right after he was born, but he did have to undergo open heart surgery when he was five. "They did a nine-hour surgery at Egleston (in Atlanta) to correct a lot of his congenital problems."
That surgery allowed Grant to live a fairly normal life. Phil says, "He had a pacemaker. He had two mechanical valves. But honestly, most of his life you would never know there was any kind of heart problems going on with him."
A cornerstone of Grant's life was his faith in God. His dad says Grant loved ministry. "He loved going on mission trips and just loved serving in the church."
After high school Grant set out to accomplish his life's goal, to be a teacher just like his parents. He enrolled at Columbus State University pursuing an education degree. And he found a way to serve the Lord on campus. Phil says, "He was president of the Baptist Collegiate Ministries at CSU for a year. He practically lived there when he wasn't at home."
But Grant's life got complicated near the end of 2023. He heart started giving him trouble. In early 2024 he had to be hospitalized at Emory in Atlanta where he was treated for fluid retention. Amy says the doctors told them it was time to put Grant on the heart transplant list, his only option for survival.
Grant was admitted to Emory in April, just three weeks before his scheduled graduation from CSU. Phil says, "Columbus State went above and beyond and actually did present him with his diploma there in the hospital while he was waiting for his heart transplant."
Dr. Stuart Rayfield, the president of Columbus State University, did the honors. "Once we got into the room where we were having the graduation, it all kind of washed over me how important this was," according to Rayfield. "To hear what was inside of his heart made it just an honor and a privilege for us to be able to do this, both for him and his family."
A few weeks later, on June 13th, Grant underwent a heart transplant. Phil recalls a poignant moment with his son before surgery when they read through the book of Job together, Grant's favorite book of the Bible.
"And when we were done, we were just sort of talking about it. And Grant said, Dad, I don't know how this is going to go. But I know if I survive this surgery, God is sovereign. And if I don't survive the surgery, God is sovereign. And he said, I'm going to be okay either way."
Those words proved priceless to his parents as they watched their son fight for his life.
Phil recalls that Grant was in the ICU for 45 days following surgery. "He was never able to come off the breathing tube because the new heart just never worked. It just never connected right with his lungs."
Phil and Amy never came home after surgery, preferring to stay by Grant's side as long as it took. And they were never alone. Family and friends rallied around them in the hospital, keeping a constant vigil and praying for Grant and his family. Phil says, "I could feel people praying for us, and I just knew people were praying for us when I couldn't pray for myself."
Grant put up a valiant fight, but finally on July 20th the Lord called him home.
It's been an incredibly difficult journey since for Phil and Amy. But God has sustained them, and friends have sustained them. Amy says, "More than anything else, people texting and saying I'm thinking about you today, that just meant a lot to know that people have not forgotten us. They're still there praying for us."
Phil says, "I told my students the other day, considering the turmoil that we've been through the last seven months, why in the world do I have the peace I have right now? There's no other way to explain that other than it's the gift of God. That's the presence of God in our life, giving us peace in spite of losing our son."
Friday, February 21st, was Grant's birthday. He would have been 25. Phil and Amy got a small group of family and friends together to celebrate his life and reminisce.
CSU has established a scholarship in Grant's memory and in his honor. Dr. Rayfield says it honors a person who we should all strive to be.
Anyone interested in contributing to the Grant Martin Scholarship Fund can click on this link.
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