When lung cancer left Thomas Roberts with only days left to live, the Alabama man decided for his dying wish that he wanted to be baptized and fully submerged in water.
Roberts, who was an atheist for most of his life, was a patient at the Palliative Care and Comfort unit at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.
Because he had to use a wheelchair and was unable to breathe without oxygen tubes, his medical team had to work with Corey Agricola, a chaplain at the hospital, to help fulfill his wish.
Agricola collaborated with Roberts' doctor, Ashley Nichols, to determine how long he could be off his oxygen in order to go underwater.
"Dr. Nichols made it clear he would only be able to be off oxygen for a few seconds, which meant we couldn’t roll him down the ramp in the pool wheelchair, so we had to use the chairlift to place him in the pool,” Agricola said.
Roberts was baptized on Sept. 4 at the pool at the Spain Rehabilitation Center pool. He was surrounded by his wife, son, two sisters, niece and nephew and his UAB care team. Agricola and a physical therapist, Marissa Smith waited for him in the water.
“I have served in the ministry over 20 years and seven of those at UAB. This is the greatest day of my career,” Agricola told Roberts and his family at the start of the celebration. “Thomas, you never thought you would preach a sermon in your life; but you preached today. You made an impact on people who you do not even know.”
Roberts passed away six days after his baptism, on Sept. 10.
“It brings me complete comfort and peace because I know where he is going now,” said Gina Gibson, Roberts’ sister. “I don’t have to worry about it. Now there will be great joy just knowing where he is going. He is at peace. He was born again. You could see that on his face after the baptism. He was born again.”
