Bishop T.D. Jakes is finally opening up about what caused him to suffer a medical emergency during a church service last year. The moment was captured on camera a few days before Thanksgiving. At the time, Jakes, his church and his daughter Sarah did not specify why the religious leaders’ body convulsed on stage.
RELATED: T.D. Jakes’ Daughter Sarah Speaks Out After His Medical Emergency During A Church Service
Bishop Jakes Says He Didn’t Know What Happened Until The Hospital
Speaking on the TODAY show with Craig Melvin, The Potter’s House leader admitted that he didn’t understand what happened to his body until he arrived at the hospital in an ambulance. As previously reported, viral footage showed Jakes lowering his microphone mid-sermon on stage, then violently shaking on November 23. Folks from his congregation immediately surrounded him. Soon after, The Potter’s House revealed that the bishop was “stable and under the care of medical professionals.” But the entity–located in Dallas, Texas, didn’t say what his symptoms or illness was.
According to his TODAY show interview on March 26, Bishop T.D. Jakes had suffered a “massive heart attack.” While in the ambulance, he was “fussing” about convulsing on stage, but then the doctor told him what happened to him.
“…And the doctor leaned over my ear and said, ‘You had a massive heart attack,'” Jakes revealed about his medical emergency.
Bishop Jakes added that he didn’t realize he had suffered a heart attack because his symptoms didn’t add up. “No numbness, no sharp pain, no anything. I just kind of drifted off to sleep. I didn’t know what it was, but I almost died,” the pastor said. Another five minutes without arriving at the hospital, and Bishop T.D. Jakes would have died. That’s what he said the doctors told him about his medical emergency.
“The right side of my heart had completely stopped getting blood at all,” Jakes revealed. When preaching, his adrenaline reportedly kept him from realizing something was wrong. “As long as I was up preaching, I felt fine,” he said. Slowing down is what ultimately exposed his health issue.
Bishop Explains What He Saw During Medical Emergency
In the TODAY interview, Bishop T.D. Jakes also explained what he experienced during his medical emergency and what he felt looking back at the footage. The 67-year-old said that while the moment on stage looked chaotic, he felt a sense of peace. Still, the video is “hard” for him to watch, he said.
“They had to claw the microphone out of my hand. But in my mind, I was in a quiet, peaceful, serene, white-enveloped, cloud-enveloped space,” Jakes shared. “I was on my way out.”
Despite being hard to watch, the bishop said he’s grateful to “stand on the other side” after getting a glimpse of what could’ve happened. He added, “I think it was absolutely amazing.”
Watch the full interview below.
What Did The Bishop Previously Say About His Health?
As mentioned, T.D. Jakes spoke out on camera several days after his medical emergency last year. At the time, he didn’t mention the massive heart attack, but confirmed that he underwent emergency surgery. In his message, the bishop thanked his prayer warriors and warned his supporters about practicing self-care. On the TODAY show, he revealed that he was awake during his surgery.
“While they were praying, the surgeons were operating while I was awake. They never put me to sleep. Technology is amazing,” he said.
Bishop Jakes returned to The Potter’s House on New Year’s Eve to give his first sermon since the heart attack. “I’m standing here today in the glory of God,” he reportedly said in the sermon.
