JJ Woodruff has survived 7 heart attacks, 1 gunshot wound, a double lung transplant, and a heart transplant. He drove himself to the hospital after each heart attack. With no health insurance, finding a doctor who would treat him proved difficult. Thankfully, Dr. Cameron in Anniston gave him care free of charge, and they ended up naming one of their sons after him.

Woodruff Family Christmas

However, Dr. Cameron gave some bad news last December when JJ had to be brought back to life by a defibrillator. He told Stacy, JJ’s wife, that this would be his last Christmas and that he would not make it to the New Year. His heart kept fluttering the rest of the month, and he could not spend time with his family as they all had COVID.

At 5 am Christmas morning, JJ woke up and said, “I feel like I’m dying.” They woke the kids up, quickly gave them their Christmas presents, and then they went straight to UAB. The doctor there said, “You’ve got a very sick heart.” JJ had not been on the transplant list, and he was told that it would be challenging for him to get a new heart. In the meantime, they discovered that both of his lungs were also failing. 

When JJ met with the transplant team months later for a regular checkup, they immediately admitted him to the hospital. He had to get a new heart or he was going to die. JJ had the #1 spot on the transplant list in the entire southeast. 

After another heart attack and being placed on an ECMO machine, they finally got a donor on Easter! Stacy tried to drive as quickly as possible, but her car broke down, and JJ’s dad had to pick her up. This was meaningful as he had not yet visited JJ. JJ was overwhelmed with joy at the news and sight of his dad. “The kids keep me going,” says JJ. His mom would sing gospel songs and pray with him as they waited to see if the transplant would take. His hospital room was covered in pictures of his 7 children. 

JJ, Stacy, and 3 of their children

“Guess I’m gonna live,” says JJ, “I’m not underwater. I can still see over the top.” With a new chance at life, JJ is excited to play ball with his sons for the first time, and he feels blessed. 

Red Mountain Grace is proud to serve families like the Woodruffs. Many people need to travel to Birmingham as it is a hub for world-class medical care. Each of our apartments are approximately ten minutes or less away from UAB, Children’s of Alabama, and other medical centers. If our apartments were not available, caregivers would have to travel from places like Anniston, Mobile, Florida, and Indiana. Our waitlist is always long, so we are currently working on acquiring more apartments. Please consider joining the Neighborhood with a monthly gift so we can make this happen!