Liberty freshman endures emergency surgery after doctors give him a 5 percent chance of survival

Freshman David Walker was no stranger to stomach cramps, but this one was different.

During his religion class last semester, his stomach ached more than usual. His mind flashed back to one of his many weightlifting workouts, thinking the pain might be exercise related. 

“It was like nothing I felt before,” Walker said. “It was the climax point of a cramp. I thought it would pass, but it never did pass.”

Annoyed at the constant stomach irritation during his religion class, Walker decided to make a trip to the campus doctors’ office.

Walker expected a bad stomach cramp or hernia, but the results showed something Walker had not anticipated, something much worse.

The doctor immediately knew something strange after examining Walker’s stomach. His concern prompted a CT scan, X-ray and ultrasound.

“I underestimated this whole thing,” Walker said. “I never thought the tests would indicate a scary thing like a tumor.”

The testing results found a volleyball-sized lump inside his abdomen tangled between his organs. The growth, expanding faster than usual, gradually reached toward his spine.

The doctor instructed Walker to immediately fly home, to Los Angeles, California, for emergency surgery.

As commanded, Walker hurried to his dorm on Commons II to pack his bags.

“He did not seem phased by it at all,” Addison Smith, Walker’s former roommate, said. “I was amazed by how non-serious it seemed to him. I asked him why he wasn’t worried, and he smiled and said he didn’t have a reason to be. (He) laughed it off and kept packing.”

Walker’s mind drifted elsewhere as he packed, despite his urgent condition and sharp pain. He thought of his parents, fearful that their relationship was creeping closer to divorce. He almost completely disregarded his tumor as he zipped up his final suit case. 

Smith drove Walker to the airport the following morning.

“On the way (to the airport), he was still acting like nothing bad was going on,” Smith said. “I told him how amazed I was at how he was handling everything, and he just laughed and continued to say that God had a plan.”

Before the departure, Smith quickly snapped a selfie with his roommate before saying goodbye, expecting the worst.

“I didn’t know if I’d see him again,” Smith said. “He assured me he was fine, and we prayed together right before (he) left. It was so humbling to see how much faith he had that God was taking care of him.”

Once in Los Angeles, Walker’s condition intensified. He was admitted into Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) where he received shocking news: chances of survival were slim. 

“The main doctor told me there was a 95 percent chance I would die,” Walker said. “They didn’t sugar coat it.”

The emergency surgery required dangerous cuttings and incisions, given the tumors location in his abdomen. 

The likelihood of survival narrowed as the doctor recited the surgery side effects. Even if Walker outlived surgery, he may never walk again due to risks. The tumor persistently rubbed against other organs and threatened to collide with his spine. 

Short of options, Walker chose surgery, the only avenue for survival.

“As a mom, I was very broken,” Rebeccah Walker, David’s mom, said. “I was pleading with God not to let me look into my son’s grave.”

Rebeccah Walker thought about Psalms 119:71-72, verses that encouraged believers during hardships.

“Situations like this make you get closer to God,” Rebeccah Walker said. “I kept on thinking that I know he will be in God’s arms if he doesn’t come back to us.”

Walker surrounded himself with family the short days preceding his hazardous surgery, and he noticed comfort.

“When I was at home, my parents stopped fighting and focused on me,” Walker said. “I even got to minister to both my parents. If I never had this tumor, I would not have been able to (have that opportunity).”

Walker noticed his parents’ relationship growing stronger, and the tragedy, though troubling, turned into an avenue for relational healing. 

Walker said his tumor may have indirectly saved his parents’ marriage.

“It happened at the right time,” Walker said. “Now that I see it after the situation, I see that God really did ordain the whole thing.”

Minutes before the surgery, Walker prayed with his mom. 

He remembered Romans 8:28, a Bible verse reminding people that God works for the good of those who love Him. He also considered verse 31, which says “If God is for us, nothing can be against us.”

“I said I would take that five percent chance (of survival),” Walker said. “But I had the same peace and equanimity and calmness throughout the whole thing. I wasn’t weathered by any storm.”

As the surgeons placed the sleeping mask over his mouth, Walker prepared to wake up in Heaven.

Walker clung to his faith, confident to meet his savior. 

“I was at peace for whatever would happen,” Walker said. “That’s really why I had so much peace, because I knew God would work out everything for good.”

Walker closed his eyes … then awoke after what felt like seconds. 

“Waking up from surgery was like waking up from a midday nap, when you’re completely discombobulated and have no idea where you are,” Walker said.

Doctors surrounded the 18-year-old as he slowly regained consciousness. After regaining his senses, Walker tried to raise his leg. 

Miraculously, he felt movement. Not only had Walker survived the 8-hour surgery, but his limbs were fully functioning. 

David later learned that his tumor, which tested benign, fell right off his organs without cutting or incisions. The process took his doctors by surprise, especially considering the tumor weighed 15 pounds.

“I am sure invisible doctors were in that room removing (the tumor) off because the doctors said he will never be able to walk again,” Rebeccah Walker said. “But God had a different plan. Everyone at the hospital was so amazed.”

Despite the odds of survival, much less his ability to even stand again, Walker demonstrated full functionality only one day after surgery. Three days later, Walker returned home.

Today, Walker brandishes a long scar along his stomach where the doctors opened his body. He receives MRIs every three months to ensure a steady healing process.

Other than a scar, Walker displays no other complication. 

“The last couple months defined my whole life,” Walker said. “Now, I have a story to tell. No matter how many times I say it to different people … the reaction is the same from person to person: disbelief. I can keep telling my story forever.” 

On top of his recovery, Walker returned to Liberty University for the spring semester, where he continued studying pastoral ministry and working as an RA.

“David is one of the most selfless, caring and mature people I’ve ever met,” Smith said. “To have his kind of attitude at 18-years-old is beyond rare. He sets an example that people 10 years older than him could follow. God rewarded him for his faithfulness.”