He said they called him ‘the miracle man’ when he was in the hospital. What else would you call someone who sits up just when you’re sure they’ll die?

Bill Pearman is well known in the Bermuda community. The former owner and operator of Belvin’s Grocery in Devonshire, Mr. Pearman has made the news quite a few times as armed thugs attacked him. Over 70 years old, we always breathed a sigh of relief that he survived these brutalities. But that’s not why hospital workers call him a miracle man.

He’s also survived four major heart attacks.

“I’ve had four heart attacks and in three of them my heart completely stopped,” he said.

His first attack happened 13 years ago. He was rushed to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital with tightening pains in his chest — angina pains. Doctors told him he had high blood pressure and that his cholesterol levels were too high. High cholesterol is normally associated with people who consume a lot of fat and do not burn it off.

This was not the case with Mr. Pearman. He was physically active in his daily life operating the shop and trekking the hill he lived on. “You had to be a Billy or mountain goat to get to my house back then,” he said. He was also physically active in his leisure time.

“I used to dance all day and all night and never get tired,” he said. “I’ve danced for over 40 years — carnival dancing, I’ve performed for Dickie Green, Mariah Benn and Choy Aming.”

And fatty foods used to make him sick. “They (doctors) said I wasn’t overweight and I told them I don’t drink or smoke,” he said.

Mr. Pearman was given medication to control his blood pressure and decided to modify his already healthy diet in an effort to control the cholesterol levels. He cut out all dairy products and limited his meat intake abandoning red meat and occasionally having a bit of chicken or fish.

Additionally, Mr. Pearman was careful in his cooking method. He decided to only boil or broil his food. “I never eat fried food,” he said.

The changes worked well for nine years but in April 2003, Mr. Pearman had another heart attack. “It was night and I was on the Middle Road on my way to Devonshire Post Office when I felt the pain in my chest,” he said. “I parked the truck but it was night and no bus was going to be on that road. I didn’t have any money on me. I said a little prayer and then drove myself to the hospital.”

Mr. Pearman said when he arrived at KEMH’s emergency ward Dr. Edward Schultz was on duty. “He gave me a needle and asked if I felt anything,” he said. “I told him ‘no’ and so he gave me another needle and my heart stopped. They had to use the defibrillator on me.”

Mr. Pearman said when he regained consciousness the skin on his chest and abdomen was burned where the defibrillation took place. He said he remained hospitalised for a few weeks but soon went home and resumed his work and life.

Then five months later in September as people stocked up for the impending hurricane Belvin’s grocery was completely out of anything to drink.

“We didn’t have even a single can of soda in the store,” he said. Begging his distributor Barritt’s to bring him a supply, he said they finally agreed on condition he stock it himself.

“They were going to leave the sodas outside the shop so I had to get down there and put it away,” he said. In the hours before Fabian was to strike, Mr. Pearman left his home and went to stock soda in his shop.

“I had just finished when I heard sheets of tin hitting outside,” he said.

“I thought I’d better stay until conditions cleared so I took a stool and went to the back of the shop with my radio and flashlight.”

Almost as soon as he reached he heard a loud bang and looked back to see the roof and ceiling had completely caved in leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the shop. “I decided I’d better get out so I went to a neighbour and asked if I could stay just until the weather improved,’ he said. But the hurricane was frightening the neighbour and Mr. Pearman said the situation caused him to get anxious.

At the first ease of wind he set out for home in his truck. A short way down the road he felt those angina pains and knew another heart attack was imminent.

“I was by the Garden Market and decided to go to my brother who lives near Lindo’s,”he said.

Mr. Pearman had someone help him walk to his brother’s home where they called for an ambulance.

“But the hospital said there was no ambulance service and that we should try our best to get to them,” he said. Mr. Pearman’s brother Keith persevered and after two and a half hours finally reached KEMH.

At the hospital Mr. Pearman said he again met Dr. Shultz who gave him a needle, asked if he could feel it and when he said no gave him another. “And that’s it. My heart stopped again and I was out,” he said.

Mr. Pearman was resuscitated and spent three weeks in KEMH recuperating. “I said to myself that these things were happening too often and that I think I better just give my heart to the Lord,” he said.

When he was released he decided to follow through with that idea. “I had a real baptism where I was completed immersed in water,” he said. “Not one of the fake baptisms where you hold on to a TV or a radio.”

Three days later during the Sunday morning worship at Church of Christ on Brighton Hill, Mr. Pearman was presented with a certificate of baptism.

“I began to thank the church when suddenly I had an overcoming — another heart attack. I fell, hit my head on a pew and was completely out. My heart stopped. Luckily there were two people who work in the emergency ward in the congregation that morning and the church has defibrillators.”

Mr. Pearman did not regain consciousness and remained on life support in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit for nine weeks. Mr. Pearman said one day the hospital called his brother Keith to come because they were going to pull the plug and a family member had to be present for them to do so.

“Keith came and they pulled the plug and he stood over me and called my name softly,” Mr. Pearman said. “I could hear him but I could not talk so I made some movement with my eyes.

That’s when they knew I was not dead. My brother talked to me some more and I raised up.”

Mr. Pearman said hospital staff was amazed. “They were calling me the miracle man. They said they had never seen anything like that before,” he said.

But Mr. Pearman could not speak, walk, or talk.

“I had no memories,” he said. “I had to be taught everything from the beginning. I had to re-learn the alphabet. One night I just said a little prayer for me to please get my memory back and it came,” he said.

With such a miraculous comeback Mr. Pearman’s spiritual faith deepened. “Dr. Marshall (KEMH cardiologist) came to me and said I could have by-pass surgery but he said that because of my age there were risks that included stroke, another heart attack or I could be paralysed for the rest of my days.

“He wanted me to decide if I wanted the operation right there and then but I said I needed a few days. After two days he came back and I told him that I will walk with God. Where he heads me I will follow.

“He accepted this and said ‘if you run into trouble, we are here for you’.”

It’s been almost four years since his last heart attack and Mr. Pearman said he feels strong and well. He said he was frightened he would have to hang up his dancing shoes, but that he has been able to continue this pastime.

He does not see a cardiologist and does not want to go overseas for testing. His local doctor said he has high blood pressure but he takes his medication and that when he last saw him in December, his pressure was fine.

Mr. Pearman attributes his survival to his Christian faith.

Bill Pearman: Survivor