‘God Built This Miracle’: Hockey Player Died for 16 Minutes, Says He Spoke to God

CHRISTIAN ANALYSIS

Another remarkable story has emerged about a supernatural encounter during a near-death experience.

In a powerful new episode of the No Longer Nomads podcast, Billy and Isabella Garaffa shared their incredible story. Billy went into cardiac arrest in the middle of a hockey game and was dead for 16 minutes on the ice. But while he was physically dead, he was never more spiritually alive.

A Prayer Before the Game

Before he stepped onto the ice that day, Billy prayed for protection. What he didn’t know was that prayer would set the stage for one of the most profound events of his life. 

Just moments into the game, Billy collapsed. His heart had stopped. Chaos broke out around him, but as people scrambled to save him, Billy says he was already encountering something supernatural.

“I could smell the sweetest smell,” Billy recalls. “I felt the Holy Spirit leading me.” 

He describes leaving his body and then being enveloped in a peace and love so powerful it felt more real than life itself. “That felt like the real life,” he says.

A Wife’s Cry and a Miracle in Motion

From the stands, Isabella sensed something was wrong when she saw him on the ground – “I just yelled, ‘Jesus, help him!'” 

Her desperate cry echoed as medical professionals rushed in. Looking back, Billy and Isabella both see God’s hand orchestrating every detail—the right people in the right place at the right time.

“Everything was orchestrated,” Billy says. “There’s no other explanation.”

A Heart Prepared for a Miracle

In a stunning discovery, doctors found that Billy’s heart had grown rare collateral arteries—extra vessels that helped keep blood flowing even when his heart stopped.

“It’s like God built this miracle into me ahead of time,” Billy shares.

But the miracle went far beyond the physical. Billy describes his near-death experience as a journey into God’s presence, an encounter that left him forever changed. 

“He wants us to be in His presence. He wants to speak to you,” Billy says.

Faith in Fear

Through their story, Billy and Isabella want others to know that God is absolutely real, His love is powerful, and that He brings peace even in the middle of chaos. 

“Faith doesn’t mean you don’t feel fear,” Isabella shares. “But even in fear, you can know His peace.”

Billy’s testimony is a reminder that God is always working, even when we can’t see it, and that His love is a transformative force in our lives. “The war is won,” Billy declares. “He’s inviting us into His love.”

You can hear the full conversation on the No Longer Nomads website. Or you can listen to the audio here. Or watch the full story with photos of the event on YouTube. 

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