PLANT CITY, Fla. — It has been six months since a rare, aggressive infection took a Plant City pastor's arm, shoulder and nearly his life. Now, he's giving thanks to God, as his faith was what carried him through such a challenging chapter.
"I stepped off a step stool and fell and hit my elbow," Pastor Nathaniel Hille explained. "Got a small scratch on my elbow and contracted Necrotizing Fasciitis or flesh-eating bacteria."
Hille would spend 40 days in the hospital, undergoing multiple procedures.
"I ended up having to get my arm amputated. And then over the course of 19 days, had 12 surgeries, lost my scapula deltoid, muscle, minor pectoral muscle, lymph nodes, and just continued to have surgery after surgery after surgery," he said.
During those weeks in the hospital, he leaned on his faith, never asking "why me?"
"You know, who am I to question the lord? He gave me an arm and He took it away," Hille said. "That was just kind of our attitude towards this, that the lord gives and he takes away and we are to bless his name regardless of what transpires in your life."
He believes it was also part of God's plan that he was in the hospital at that time.
"I met people in the hospital that I never would have met and I got to talk to people about the lord that I never would have gotten to talk to otherwise," he added.
Such willingness to believe in a greater plan is not always easy, even for a pastor.
"There are hard things. It's hard to do things. It's difficult, difficult on my wife. it's difficult on our family. It's difficult on the church," Hille said. "I do miss my right arm. I was extremely right-handed. But I trust that the lord has plans and we just commit ourselves to him."
Now, six months later, Hille will lead a weekend of special services at the Bible Baptist Church in Plant City, sharing how God got him through his recovery journey.
"To thank God for all that he's done and to give thanks to Him, just for His mercy and grace and all that He's done for us."
The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving Special Services will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, 7 and 8 at the Bible Baptist Church, 809 Charlie Griffin Road, Plant City. There will be lunch to follow.