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Miracle: Zach killed by lightning; now alive!

Miracle: Zach killed by lightning; now alive! 2019-02-11T22:48:15-05:00

Zach’s testimony given live (recently dubbed the “Time For Miracles” Tour):

Zach’s testimony has been heard live at many places, including a national event, two regional events, and many local events. Below are just a few…

  • July 25, 2012 – Zach’s first church service after being discharged from Health South (same day), at his home church, Christian Apostolic Church, Clarksburg, WV, Pastor Doug Joseph
  • July 31, 2012, Local church service, Calvary Apostolic Church, Grafton, WV, Pastor David Harris Sr
  • August 1-5, 2012 – National rally of Azusa StreetRiders Motorcycle Ministry, convened at Christian Apostolic Church, Clarksburg, WV, Pastor Doug Joseph – attendees from all across America.
  • August 5, 2012 – Church service, House of the Lord Jesus Christ, Clarksburg, WV Pastor Bradley Glaspell
  • August 11, 2012 – Regional event, Jesus Fest, downtown Clarksburg, WV (on-street testimonies)
  • August 19, 2012 – Local church service, Liberty Addition Church of God, Clarksburg, WV, Pastor Ronald Miller
  • August 26, 2012 – Local church service, Spreading Truth Ministries, Parkersburg, WV, Pastor Ralph Tisdale
  • August 26, 2012 – Local church service, Solid Rock Worship Center, Oak Hill, WV, Pastor Greg Hurley
  • September 3, 2012 – Local church service, Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, Shinnston, WV, Pastor Tom Brown
  • September 7, 2012 – Local church service, Calvary Apostolic Church, Uniontown, PA, Pastor Dan Bayles
  • September 14, 2012 – Local church service (revival), Duck Creek Union Mission Church, West Milford, WV
  • September 14, 2012 – Regional event, Reverb (student ministries gathering), hosted at Christian Apostolic Church, Clarksburg, WV, Pastor Doug Joseph – attendees from across the region, including from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia.
  • September 16, 2012 – Local church service, Cornerstone UPC, Winchester, VA, Pastor Jeff Dillon
  • Plus many others….

Zach in the News:

Here is a photo you can use for your Facebook Timeline’s main profile photo (save it to your harddrive, then go to your Facebook Timeline and use it for your main profile pic):

More Updates:

  • Saturday, December 1, 2012, Cissie Cutlip (Zach’s aunt) posted, “Today Zach showed me he can skip!” Zach’s grandmother, Verna Welch, noted that his progress toward complete recovery is ahead of what the doctors predicted. “We serve an awesome God.”
  • Thursday, November 29, 2012, Zach posted, “Saw the doctor this morning. He is very pleased with my progress! He asked me to jog down the hallway. When I did, he was very surprised with how well I did. He also said that he can feel and see the increased muscle in my legs. He was very happy and surprised with my progress!”
  • Saturday-Sunday, August 25-26, 2012 – over the weekend: On Saturday, Zach led a crowd of about 40 people out onto the ballfield (where he was killed approximately six weeks earlier) to celebrate God’s miracle of raising him from the dead. There ALJC Pastor Ralph Tisdale (eyewitness) told about the lightning strike that initially left Zach dead (see video above). Afterward, the group also visited the EMS dispatch station, as well as the Camden-Clark emergency room. On Sunday, Zach and several family members and friends attended the ALJC church where Brother Tisdale is pastor. There, Zach addressed the crowd and gave his testimony. What a joy it is to give honor and praise to God for Zach!
  • Wednesday, August 8, 2012, about 10:30 pm: Zach posted the following on his Facebook: “Feeling very good tonight!! I’m getting better day by day!! So happy to be alive! Thank you Jesus!! God is great and greatly to be praised!! Thank you everyone who has been praying, or has donated, or has brought food, or if you have done anything, thank you sooo much! It really means a lot to me and my family!! I just want everyone to know that I’m doing a lot better. The pains in my legs and sides are going away, and I’m walking better! Thank you Jesus!!”
  • Tuesday, July 24, 2012, about 7:00 pm: Zach’s  family is planning a Homecoming Celebration this coming Saturday, July 28, from 1:00 to 6:00 at Zach’s Grandma’s house at 106 Maryland Ave in Nutter Fort, WV. Please plan to come and celebrate Zach’s miracle with us! Also, Zach’s most recent interview was with WBOY (Clarksburg News Channel 12). This video news story is due to air on WBOY this Wednesday evening during either the 5 or 6 pm news.
  • Tuesday, July 24, 2012, about 5:00 pm: We just got word that Zach is going home tomorrow! Praise God!
  • Tuesday, July 24, 2012, about 9:30 am: Zach texted the following to his father: “I feel great today.” The original YouTube video entitled “Zach: The Miracle!” (viewable at the top of this page) has now been viewed over 7,000 times. This audio-visual slideshow depicts the actual events and shows photos of the lightning strike evidences. At the time the video was made, Zach’s short term memory was still healing, but he afterward realized recovery of his memory.
  • Thursday, July 19, 2012, about 5:30 pm: We just got word that the KLOVE date for airing the Zach miracle has been moved to Wednesday, August 1. They are excited about the story, but they had some scheduling issues. They said they will be calling Bro Bud sometime next week for an interview with him, and they hope to be able to talk to Zach as well!
  • Thursday, July 19, 2012, about 4:30 pm: We just got word that the WVU men’s basketball team came over to HealthSouth and met with Zach and family. That’s neat.
  • Thursday, July 19, 2012, about 10:00 am: Update posted by Bro. Russell “Bud” Sandy: “I am not sure who set me up with a phone call from Bro. Jeff Arnold [this morning], but that was an on time phone call. He is [a pastor] from Gainesville, FL. He died while preaching last year, and he was raised from the dead. Now that call made my day.”
  • Thursday, July 19, 2012, about 5:00 am: Zach was up walking around a little last night. Therapy will get more intense today. HealthSouth allowed us to use one of their classrooms for visiting hours so everyone could be with him together. Although there is no guarantee they will do this again Thursday evening, we encourage anyone who would like to, to come tonight. Visiting hours are 4:30 – 8:00 pm only. Zach really enjoyed seeing everyone. Thank you for your continued prayers. God is in control!
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012, about 10:00 pm: The KLOVE radio coverage of Bro Zach’s miracle is scheduled to be aired next Wednesday, July 25. It will be a featured news story, running in rotation with about 3-4 other featured stories. The featured stories take turns getting played during their news slots. The news slots are scheduled during the morning between 6am – 11am, twice each hour, at 10 minutes after the hour, and 40 minutes after the hour. The news slots are scheduled during the afternoon, between 4pm – 8pm, once each hour, at 40 minutes after the hour.
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012, about 10:00 am: Read this awesome eyewitness account of what happened to Zach Sandy, by Bradley Glaspell. Share the link!
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012, about 8:00 am: Zach has departed the West Penn Burn Center! He is headed to Health South in Morgantown, where he will be in physical therapy. Praise the Lord!
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012, about 5:00 am: This morning, at 8am they are transferring Zach to HealthSouth rehab center in Morgantown, WV. Zach’s legs show signs of getting stronger every day. Last night Zach walked across the hospital waiting room with very little assistance! HealthSouth will work to get Zach’s legs back to 100%. Also, regarding Zach’s short term memory loss… On Friday, Zach had a psych evaluation to test his memory. At that time he scored a 3 out of a possible 30 points. Later, on Monday, Zach was given the test again, and he scored 27 out of a possible 30! His dad said it was a difficult memory test and joked that he isn’t sure he could have scored a 27.
    Note: Once Zach gets to HealthSouth, they will put him on a rigorous schedule of physical therapy. They have told us that they will keep him tired. HealthSouth also has a very strict visiting hours schedule, that only offers a small number of visiting hours per day. We know that everyone is overjoyed with Zach’s miracle and wants to see him, but please call his parents first, to see if it is possible. It does not appear that the rehab will take a long time. Let’s continue to pray and call, text, email, encourage his family and together we can watch this become a full and complete miracle FOR HIS GLORY!
  • Tuesday, July 17, 2012, about 5:00 pm: KLOVE Radio / Air 1 Radio would like to run the story of Zach Sandy’s miracle on their nationwide network of stations! We have an appointment for a phone interview with them tomorrow at 1pm.
  • Tuesday, July 17, 2012, about 4:00 pm: Announcement by Adam Justice via Facebook: There is to be a spaghetti dinner (raising funds to benefit Zach and his family) this Saturday, July 21, 2012, at United Methodist Temple, beginning at 11:00 am. Each plate is $6.00. The church is located in downtown Clarksburg, WV on the corner of Sycamore St and Locust Ave. For more information call their church office at 304-622-4172.
  • Tuesday, July 17, 2012, about 3:00 pm: The Sandy’s have been given a firm date and time for when Zach will be discharged from the West Penn Hospital Burn Center. He is to be leaving there at 8:00 am tomorrow. The plan is to take him to Health South (in Morgantown, WV) for physical therapy. His digestion system has already regained full functionality, and he is already demonstrating more strength in his walking ability, and his walking therapy is covering longer distances and more time. Note: Visiting hours at Health South (in Morgantown, WV) on weekdays will be from 4:30 – 8:00 pm and on weekends will be from Noon – 8:30 pm.
  • Monday, July 16, 2012, about 1:30 pm: Until recently, Bro. Zach Sandy (who was killed by lightning and revived by God’s grace) has not wanted to eat much and has not held down what he ate. However, today he held down breakfast, and he just had lunch and it seems he will hold it down too. We think that as soon as he starts getting some nourishment into his body, we will start seeing quick improvement regarding the muscle weakness he is having in his legs, and the short term memory issue (which has been improving all along) will also hasten away. The doctors and specialists have indicated in both cases (walking and short term memory) that he is expected to make a full recovery. Praise the Lord!
  • Saturday, July 14, 2012 – about Noon: Twice now Zach has been permitted to come out to the waiting room to see everyone for 10-15 minutes.
  • Saturday, July 14, 2012 – about 8:30 am: The doctor said this morning, Zach’s muscle enzymes were all the way down to 3000 (down from 9000 earlier; goal is 2000). He wants Zach to stay through the weekend, maybe until Monday or Tuesday. They are trying to get his legs stronger today.
  • Friday, July 13, 2012 – about 4:30 pm: Zach is completely worn out from all that has happened. The hospital staff is not allowing any more visitors except immediate family. If you were planning to go visit, please don’t go until you hear differently. Thank you so much for continuing to pray!
  • Friday, July 13, 2012 – about 2:30 pm: Zach is having some issues with short term memory. Please direct your prayers in this direction for healing. Thank you!
  • Friday, July 13, 2012 – about 11:30 am: All neurological tests have come back normal! Zach can come home as soon as his muscle enzymes return to normal! There is no other explanation but a miracle!

The True Story:

This is the church youth camp ballfield where the lightning strike happened.

Parkersburg, WV – On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, 18-year-old Zachary Sandy was struck by lightning and was without pulse or breath for somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes. The lightning strike happened on a baseball field in Parkersburg, WV that was being used by a church-sponsored youth camp. Several others who were on the ballfield were also knocked down by the lightning, but other than Sandy, none was seriously injured. See the local newspaper article here.

Caleb Tisdale, who administered CPR to Zach for about 15 minutes, until being relieved by paramedics. Zach had no pulse and was not breathing.

The blast literally shook the ground. Pastor Tisdale, local to the area, was among those knocked down. His wife was also impacted by the blast. Their son, a young preacher named Caleb Tisdale, was taken to his knees by the strike. Along with others, the young Tisdale, who knows CPR, rushed to Zach, who was laid out and stiff as a board. Tisdale said that smoke was literally coming from Sandy’s mouth and body; an image he said he will never forget. Sandy’s clothes showed burn marks and smelled like they had come from a furnace. An incision on the back of his head showed where the lightning entered his body, and his hair was singed and burned. The lightning had blown holes in the young man’s tennis shoes as the electricity exited his body. He had broad, red, track marks and second-degree burns caused by the lightning having traveled through his body. His cell phone was fried, its screen shattered, a cover blown off, and some buttons partially melted. Immediately both prayer and CPR were implemented.

Eventually Zach was airlifted to West Penn Hospital’s Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA.

Sandy was not breathing, and he had no pulse. Tisdale performed CPR on his friend. Sometime later, a local lady named Lindsay Leasure arrived. Somehow she had heard about Zach, and she knew CPR, so she came to see if she could help. She assisted Tisdale with CPR. The two of them continued CPR until being relieved by paramedics about 15 or so minutes after the strike. The paramedics maintained CPR on Zach for some time. However, at one point after Sandy was loaded into the ambulance, an eyewitness named Bradly Glaspell overheard one paramedic say to another, “Do you wanna call it?” (referring to officially calling the time of death). Glaspell encouraged his father and all the other believers there to redouble their prayer efforts. The believers, including several preachers, laid their hands on the outside of the ambulance, and prayed in Jesus name. Bradley later testified that within less than 10 seconds after that moment of prayer, a paramedic suddenly emerged from the ambulance shouting, “We have a pulse!” Paramedics later stated it was the strongest pulse they have ever seen in a resuscitation. They added that they know it was God, because they had done all they could do.

By the time Zach arrived at Camden-Clark Memorial Hospital in Parkersburg, he had been intubated (put on a breathing machine), which is standard procedure. He had a stable heart rate. There was talk of airlifting him to either WVU Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV or the West Penn Hospital Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA. However, a helicopter could not be procured at the time. So, he was taken by ground to Morgantown. There a crowd of family, church members, and other friends had gathered, and an impromptu prayer meeting was held shortly after his arrival. Sandy was soon flown from there to West Penn Hospital Burn Center.

Sedation took a while to wear off after the tube and breathing machine were removed.

Within hours, prayer support had been registered from over 30 states and two foreign countries. The very next day, the tube and breathing machine were removed, and Sandy spoke, drank, ate, and walked. The following day, doctors reported that all neurological tests had come back normal, and that as soon as Sandy’s muscle enzymes returned to normal, he could be discharged and sent home. Both family, church, and friends agree that there is no other explanation but a miracle.

Pastor and Mrs. Doug & LaDonna Joseph at West Penn Burn Center in Pittsburgh, PA

At the Christian Apostolic Church in Clarksburg, WV, Sandy’s pastor, Rev. Doug Joseph, stated, “Thus far, each and every prayer has been answered. At first we were cautioned that he might suffer brain damage from being under CPR for so long without a pulse. Everyone prayed and the Lord answered. We were cautioned that his kidneys might not work properly or that other internal organs could be damaged. Again the Lord heard prayers. We were warned that burns caused by lightning strikes almost always grow worse over time before they get better. His burns did the exact opposite. We’re all elated and thankful for the great touch of God bestowed on this precious young man.”

Note: In lieu of flowers and gifts, the family encourages donations to the Zachary Sandy Medical Fund to help cover medical expenses. Donations can be submitted via mail, online, or in person. Full details are available below the photo gallery below.

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Christian Apostolic Church (UPCI)

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