Jacob Phillips, 44, from West Monroe, Louisiana, shares his incredible journey, which began at Louisiana’s Bossier General Hospital on Dec. 12, 1977. Delivered via Caesarean section, he faced what doctors called “triple trouble” and was given little chance of survival.
‘Triple Trouble’
“I was born with hydrocephalus, partial skull formation, and no brain,” Phillips explains. “My brain stem kept me alive, and doctors told my family I wouldn’t survive the hour. I owe my life to my faith in God.”
Phillips attributes his survival to his devout Christian mother, who fervently prayed for him. She had previously experienced a miscarriage and was deeply distressed by the news of his condition. Despite the grim prognosis, she and the family’s church rallied around him.
“I remember my grandmother telling me she told the doctor I wasn’t going to die, saying, ‘You don’t know what my God can do!’” Phillips recalls.
A Miracle
During his critical early days, Nurse Susie, showing her faith, called her pastor, Don Logan, with Phillips’s mother’s approval. Phillips’s grandparents also contacted their pastor, Loel Ashbrook. Together with a friend, Duane Amis, these three pastors came to pray for him.
“I call these three men the Power Trio,” Phillips says. “Their prayers led to God creating a brain in my head.”
Nurse Susie later confirmed the miraculous healing: “His head was shaped like a peanut, filled with fluid, and the neurosurgeon called him a vegetable. But the Lord healed that child.”
Challenges and Triumphs
Phillips, who is legally blind, has endured 25 surgeries, beginning with a shunt placement at one week old to treat his hydrocephalus. He later underwent skull reconstruction using bone grafts. At 10, he faced another life-threatening situation when his shunt malfunctioned, leading to a 26-day hospital stay.
Growing up, Phillips was bullied for his appearance and found solace at home. Despite these challenges, he became “born again” at 10 and was called into ministry at 17. Now a licensed and ordained evangelist, he and his wife Charlene, whom he met as a teenager, run the ‘Sons of Righteousness ministry, traveling across the country to share their faith.
Sharing His Story
Phillips’s book, “Born Without a Brain,” details his life and aims to inspire others. After nine years of effort, it was finally published, showcasing the miracles he attributes to God.
Message of Hope
Phillips encourages those struggling to pray. “I’m huge on having a solid prayer life,” he says. “There is nothing in this life that can’t be overcome.”
Inspired by Phillips’s testimony? Share his story with friends and family.