ORLANDO, Fla. — A recent CDC study found that 41% of Americans have delayed medical care during the pandemic, but an Orlando pastor found out the hard way what can happen when medical problems go undiscovered, and is urging people to pay close attention to their health.

What You Need To Know

  •  Pastor David Uth discovered unknown medical problems last year after falling off his bicycle

  •  Doctors found a heart defect and benign brain tumor, both of which have since been taken care of

  • Uth urges others to stay current with their checkups at the doctor, regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic

First Baptist Orlando Senior Pastor David Uth says during a bike ride last year he suddenly felt weak.

“I just remember literally seeing the pavement come toward me,” said Uth.

He says something caused him to pass out, crash his bike and break five ribs.

“They said yeah, you’ve broken ribs but we want to know why you passed out,” said Uth. “And that’s when they started to run tests.”

Those tests showed a heart valve defect he was born with.  Uth said he never knew he had any heart problems, but looking back he can remember signs something was wrong.

“There were occasions where I would go up to preach that I seemed short of breath,” said Uth. “But I guess you accommodate for that, and you just kind of discount it. I really wasn’t as careful and in tune with my body as I should’ve been.”

Uth had successful heart surgery, but once he recovered from that, he would then have to deal with something else doctors discovered – a brain tumor.

“The brain tumor had been there 30 years,” said Uth.

It was benign, but it was pressing on the part of his brain that handles speech.

Doctors wanted him to stay awake during the surgery and Uth said he kept reciting scripture.

“And the nurses and the doctor told me I got every word of it,” said Uth.

After months of recovery, Uth is back at church with a renewed appreciation for life, and a message for others.

“We’ve got to quit taking things for granted, and we’ve got to treat every day as a very special gift from God,” he said. “Your body is letting you know, OK, you have a situation here. And I think we have to be careful we don’t become tone-def to those signals — that we don’t ignore them.”

And he says his sense of purpose — and his hope for others’ sense of purpose — is stronger than before.

“What matters most is you’re alive — He’s giving you breath — use that to make a difference,” said Uth.

Uth says his heart is fixed, the tumor is gone and he has regular medical checkups to make sure everything is still OK.