LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – A Central Arkansas man was able to spend Christmas with his family just days after doctors found two blood clots in his leg and lungs. A relatively new procedure at Baptist Health made it all possible.

Less than two months post-op, Walter Simpson goes through his routine checkup with Baptist Health Intervention Radiologist Dr. Kenneth Robbins. While Simpson is still getting back to 100 percent, he said it’s a miracle he is even here. 

“Christmas could have been a whole lot different for my family,” Simpson said. 

Just a few months ago, he started to have shortness of breath.

“I immediately had to pull my mask off to breathe,” Simpson said. 

Testing for COVID and coming back negative then making a visit to his doctor, they thought he had an infection and sent him home with medication. Just a few days later, he started to get hot just walking around his house. 

“I said ‘something is wrong,’” Simpson said. “My eyes just went boom, boom, boom and when they closed that third time they just didn’t open.”

The next thing he knew, he was being rushed to Baptist Health and doctors realized Simpson had two blood clots. One was in his leg and another in his lungs.

“That could’ve been fatal,” Dr. Robbins said. 

Dr. Robbins said Simpson was the perfect candidate for a relatively new procedure where they could take both clots out at the same time.

“When he said ‘we got something we could do, we can actually go in and get the clots.’ When he said that I was like ‘oh it’s a no-brainer. Go in and take them out,’” Simpson said. 

It was a success and just a day later Simpson was feeling much better. 

“I was discharged to spend Christmas eve with my family,” Simpson said. 

It wasn’t only a win for Simpson but his doctors.

“That’s what you call a God wink to remind you who you are and why you’re here,” Dr. Robbins said. 

Both Simpson and Dr. Robbins say it’s important to listen to your body and if something feels off, it probably is.