Country singer Rory Feek revealed the terrifying medical emergency that nearly cost his family everything.
Just two weeks after his 12-year-old daughter, Indiana, underwent open-heart surgery, Feek said she was rushed to a hospital and airlifted by helicopter after a sudden health scare left him and wife Rebecca fearing the worst.
Feek described how what appeared to be a routine illness quickly spiraled into a life-threatening emergency for Indiana, who was born with a ventricular septal defect, a congenital heart defect diagnosed shortly after her birth in 2014, in an emotional Substack post published Saturday.
“It started with a headache in the afternoon, and then a cough in the middle of the night,” Feek began. “But it wasn’t actually a cough, it was Indy throwing up, which for her is what it sounds like.”
At first, Feek said he and Rebecca suspected a stomach bug. That changed in an instant when Indiana collapsed after walking back toward her bedroom.
“I’m not going to go into the moment-by-moment details that led to us to calling 911 — both us holding her in our arms, literally crying, begging for help — but let’s just say that neither Rebecca, nor I, have been as scared in our lives as we were Thursday morning,” Feek wrote. “I can hardly think it, let alone write it…but we thought we had lost her.”
Indiana was first taken to a hospital in Waco, Texas, before doctors determined she needed specialized care in Austin. She was transported by helicopter while Feek followed in his truck.
“They gave us time to pray over Indy and for me to kiss her and Rebecca goodbye, and the helicopter lifted off to start their 30 minute flight back to Dell Children’s Medical Center — while I, since there wasn’t enough room for all of us, made my way there in our truck,” Feek continued.
Doctors soon discovered a dangerous buildup of fluid surrounding Indiana’s heart that was preventing it from pumping properly, requiring emergency surgery.
“They said it wasn’t anything that we did, or didn’t do…but that this was something that sometimes happens, where the inflammation from the surgery starts creating an excess of fluid, which is what would make her heart have difficult pumping and her lose color and struggle to get oxygen, and her body to react with vomiting as it’s trying to counter the problem,” Feek explained.
Nearly two weeks to the hour after her first operation, Indiana was back in surgery.
Doctors removed 610 cc of fluid from around her heart and showed the family X-rays revealing the swelling had grown to roughly twice its normal size.
The procedure brought immediate relief.
“The doctors say that Indy is doing great and should make a full recovery, and hopefully have no further problems like this in the future,” Feek added. “And so, the color has returned, not just to Indy’s face, but to her Mama and Papa’s too.”
The latest scare comes just weeks after Feek announced Indiana — who has Down syndrome — would undergo corrective heart surgery because of complications tied to her congenital heart defect.
“In February 2014, just a few days after Indy was born, after a very troubling appointment with a local doctor, we took Indiana to Nashville to have her heart checked out,” Feek wrote at the time. “They say that about half of all little ones born with Down syndrome have heart issues. And some are much worse than others.”
About half of babies born with Down syndrome have a congenital heart condition, with some diagnosed before birth and others identified after delivery, according to the National Down Syndrome Society.
Earlier this month, Feek celebrated Indiana’s successful release from the hospital after her initial surgery.
“Just as we had hoped, we were released from the hospital on Monday morning. A moment that all of us had been looking very forward to,” he wrote in a July 3 Substack post. “Dr. Fraser and his team said that Indy is doing amazing and gave her a big thumbs up, and told us we were free to head north to Waco. Back home.”
At the time, the singer acknowledged the emotional toll of the experience while expressing gratitude for his daughter’s recovery.
“It’s been a long week and a half since we loaded up and headed to Austin, with more than a few worries and fears in tow. But the reality is, it’s not been near as long, or hard, as it could’ve been,” he continued. “And we’re SO thankful.”
The medical emergency came during a challenging period for Feek and his family.
In addition to Indiana, the country singer is father to adult daughters Heidi and Hopie from his first marriage.
Hopie previously publicly revealed that DNA testing showed Feek is not her biological father.
According to Hopie, she said the discovery strained their relationship and accused him of sharing private family matters publicly, while Feek has continued to document aspects of his family life through his Substack.
