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Indiana Feek’s Heart Surgery Was a Success, and Rory Feek Says She’s Recovering in the ICU

Rory Feek holding his daughter Indiana's hand in the ICU as she recovers after her successful open heart surgery.
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

The hole in Indiana Feek’s heart is closed.

Rory Feek shared on his Substack blog Thursday evening that 12-year-old Indiana’s open heart surgery was successful. “Dr. Frasier was sitting across a table from us telling us how well it went and how wonderful Indiana did,” Feek wrote.

“The hole in her heart is closed, the blockages are cleared, and she should make a full recovery and live a full, long, life.”

Then two words. “Thank you Jesus.”

The Surgery Came After a Long Two Days for the Feek Family

As we covered earlier this week, Indiana’s surgery was originally scheduled for Wednesday morning at Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, Texas. After hours of preparation, the surgeon was called away for an emergency case, and the surgery was postponed to Thursday.

Rory said the delay turned out to be something he needed more than Indiana did. “I didn’t know how much I needed it, how desperately my heart needed another 24 hours to process all that her little heart, and ours, was about to go through,” he wrote. Friends from Waco showed up that afternoon, and the family spent the extra day together sharing meals, conversations, and prayer.

Thursday morning, they checked back in at 6 a.m. and went through the process again. Before they came to wheel Indiana to the operating room, she was playing with her new doll Rosemary, winning at Uno, and watching her two-year-old friend Ardi play tambourine. Just being a kid, right up until the last minute.

“One small sedative and a few moments later, we were kissing and hugging our sleeping girl goodbye, telling her we’d see her after the surgery,” Feek wrote.

The family spent most of Thursday in waiting rooms. A large one with Rebecca’s parents and close friends, and a smaller private one just down the hall where a nurse gave hourly updates. At one point during the surgery, the nurse told them the surgeon had found something new that concerned him, which “greatly concerned” the family. It turned out to be fine.

Then the surgeon came out, sat across the table, and delivered the news every parent prays to hear.

When the family was finally allowed to see Indiana in the ICU, she heard their voices and started crying. “Hers because she’s frightened and in pain, and not fully understanding what’s happening, and why she has all the tubes and wires attached to her,” Feek wrote. “Ours because it hurts us to see her in so much pain that we can’t make go away.”

“But it’s done.”

Just days ago, Indiana looked her papa in the eyes and said, “I don’t want the surgery Papa. I want the miracle.” A church of more than a thousand prayed for her on Sunday. Fans across the country music community held her name in their hearts all week.

The surgery is over. The hole is closed. And if the doctors are right, that little girl from Tennessee is going to live a full, long life.

Sounds like a miracle to us.

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