d+ He Went Back Into the Storm to Restore Power. Now Thousands Are Pausing to Pray for His Life.

In the bitter aftermath of an ice storm that plunged entire communities into darkness and freezing cold, lineman Denny did what he had done countless times before: he answered the call.

While most families sheltered indoors, waiting anxiously for the lights to return, Denny was outside — climbing, repairing, restoring — determined to bring heat and safety back to strangers he would never meet. It was dangerous work, but it was familiar work. And it was work he believed in.

What no one expected was how quickly that mission would turn into a fight for his life.

Less than two weeks later, Denny lies in a hospital bed after enduring seven major surgeries in just eight days. Part of his left arm has been amputated. His body is battered. His future uncertain. And now, doctors say he must undergo yet another critical operation — one that could determine whether he survives at all.

As word of his condition spreads, thousands of people across the country are preparing to pause, pray, and stand in solidarity with a man many have never met, but deeply recognize.

A Routine Call That Turned Catastrophic

According to those closest to the situation, Denny was working to restore power following a severe ice storm when the unthinkable happened. In a split second, he was nearly electrocuted — the kind of accident linemen train their entire careers to avoid, yet always know is possible.

Emergency responders rushed him to the hospital, where doctors quickly realized the severity of his injuries. What followed was a relentless series of surgeries aimed at stabilizing his condition, saving tissue, and preventing further complications.

Despite every effort, the damage was extensive. Surgeons were forced to make the heartbreaking decision to partially amputate his left arm in order to save his life.

Even then, the danger was not over.

“Every day has brought a new challenge,” a family friend shared. “Just when we think we’ve made it through one hurdle, another appears.”

“I Simply Cannot Do This Life Without Him”

For Denny’s wife, Kristi, the past days have felt unreal.

After 31 years of marriage — a lifetime built on shared routines, inside jokes, and quiet moments that never make headlines — she suddenly finds herself facing the possibility of losing her partner.

In a brief but devastating message, Kristi wrote:
“I simply cannot do this life without him.”

Those few words have echoed far beyond their immediate circle, resonating with spouses, families, and anyone who understands how fragile everything can become in an instant.

Friends describe Kristi as strong, but exhausted. Hopeful, but terrified. Like so many families of injured first responders and utility workers, she is living minute by minute — measuring time not in days, but in test results, surgical updates, and the sound of doctors’ footsteps in the hallway.

Another Surgery, Another Waiting Room

Now, as Denny prepares for yet another critical procedure, the tension has reached a new level.

Doctors have been careful with their words, emphasizing that the next operation is necessary, but high-risk. It is one more attempt to control complications and give Denny’s body a chance to recover from trauma that few could withstand.

For his loved ones, the waiting has become its own ordeal.

“The hardest part,” one supporter said, “is knowing there’s nothing you can do except wait — and hope.”

A Call That Spreads Beyond One Man

What began as a local tragedy has grown into something much larger.

This Saturday, people across the country are being asked to pause and pray — not only for Denny, but for every lineman who climbs poles in storms, works through the night, and puts their body on the line so others can live normally.

Lineman work is often invisible when everything goes right. The lights come on. The heat returns. Life resumes.

But moments like this expose the cost behind that reliability — the risks quietly accepted, the families who live with constant uncertainty, and the reality that one wrong moment can change everything.

“When words fall short, prayer becomes action,” one organizer of the prayer initiative said. “And community becomes strength.”

Hope, Held Together by Faith and Support

Despite the gravity of Denny’s condition, his family says the outpouring of support has been overwhelming.

Messages, prayers, and notes of encouragement have poured in from fellow linemen, strangers, faith groups, and families who see their own loved ones in Denny’s story.

Each message, Kristi says, is a reminder that they are not alone.

Doctors continue to fight for Denny’s life with everything they have. His family continues to hope. And thousands of people who have never met him will soon pause — wherever they are — and speak his name in prayer.

Because sometimes, the most powerful response to tragedy isn’t noise or outrage.

It’s quiet solidarity.
It’s shared faith.
And it’s refusing to let someone fight alone.