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82-Year-Old Baptized in Hospital Bed After Near-Death Surgery
20 Dec, 2025
Summary
- An 82-year-old man was baptized in his hospital bed after major surgery.
- He felt compelled to get baptized after fearing he wouldn't survive surgery.
- This was the first baptism of its kind at the hospital in living memory.
Bill Starling, an 82-year-old man from Telford, has finally achieved his lifelong wish of being baptized. The retired antiques dealer felt a strong urge to undergo the sacrament while in his hospital bed, facing major orthopaedic surgery. He was admitted to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital with warnings that he might not survive the procedure.
Fortunately, Mr. Starling successfully navigated the extensive surgery, which included a new pelvis, right hip, and a titanium bone replacement. Grateful for his survival, he approached the hospital's lead chaplain, the Reverend Simon Airey, to arrange the baptism. This event marked the first such ceremony in the hospital's living memory, a testament to Mr. Starling's unique circumstances and the compassion of the hospital staff.
