The Daily News Network presents FaithWorks hosted by Morgan Allen. Today, she chats with Jay Chattelle of Marked Men for Christ.
Jay Chattelle
Member of Marked Men for Christ
Website Address: www.markedmenforchrist.org
Transcript:
Morgan:
Welcome back to another episode of Faith Works TV. I’m Morgan Allen, joined today by Jay with Marked Men for Christ.
Jay:
Come on. Faith. God bless you.
Morgan:
Thank you. Well, it’s great to have you on the show, and I want to start out by having you share a bit of your testimony with us, if you will.
Jay:
Praise God. Yeah. I come from Rhode Island. It’s the smallest state with the biggest heart, up in New England, not in New York. And I come from a different type of background, like a troubled background, but that was the way of life where I came from, you know, urban culture, Italian culture, motorcycle club culture, gang culture, all of it combined like a melting pot.
And I got into some trouble, some serious trouble over the years. And then in 2005, I got into a motorcycle accident, and I chopped my body in half. Yeah, and no exaggeration.
Morgan:
In half?
Jay:
This way. In half this way. That’s right. To the point where, if there’s anybody listening who knows medical, I snapped my femur in half, fractured my pelvis in half, shattered my hip socket, broke my tailbone, snapped my lower back in half, crushed my hip socket top on my side, collapsed my lung, broke my arm in half, snapped my shoulder, collapsed my collarbone, and everything else on the inside got mixed up and mangled.
Morgan:
And the fact that you’re walking in here today with muscles…
Jay:
With muscles.
Morgan:
Yeah, it’s a miracle.
Jay:
It’s 100% a miracle. All glory and honor goes to God. I like to correct people when they say, “Man, you’re lucky to be alive.” I say no, luck is not getting into that accident. God gets the credit. I’m blessed, 100% blessed.
That happened in Cape Cod back in 2005. I was taken to Boston Medical, where they operated on me for three days. I died, they resuscitated me, and then they told my family that I wouldn’t make it through the night and to come say goodbye. People poured into the hospital, waiting for me to expire.
But God had other plans. They put me in an induced coma for two weeks. The first month, I don’t remember anything. I lived a real-life Groundhog Day. Every day I was told I would never walk again. I had to learn how to read, write, walk, and talk all over again. I was in the hospital for four months.
Morgan:
How old were you?
Jay:
I was turning 30. I crashed the bike six days before my 30th birthday.
Morgan:
Oh my goodness.
Jay:
Yeah, September 30th.
Morgan:
Wow.
Jay:
Yeah. So on the motorcycle accident site, I lost my life. What I saw was the brightest of the bright. It wasn’t white, it was brighter than white. I heard a calm voice say, “Everything is going to be all right.” I know that was the Holy Spirit.
Then my vision came back, and I was lying on the ground in excruciating pain. I saw a crowd around me, and I said, “I can see.” They rushed me to the hospital. On the helicopter, they kept asking me questions to check if I was coherent. I told them my name and where I lived and begged them not to let me die.
I started praying to Our Father, and that’s the last thing I remember until I woke up a month later.
Morgan:
A month?
Jay:
A month later. Every day after waking up was like Groundhog Day again. I had to be told I was paralyzed every single day.
Then one day, the doctors came in, and I realized the severity of my injuries. I saw the bolts, the traction, the stitches, the tubes, everything. That’s when everything changed. That’s when the fight began.
God kept showing up in my life. The doctors and nurses were like angels. Their care, their kindness, their compassion—it was incredible.
Morgan:
That’s incredible. So how did that lead you to Marked Men for Christ?
Jay:
I’m a father of five children. My middle son drowned in a swimming pool accident in 2014. That changed my life completely. Losing a child is a pain like no other.
After that, I started self-destructing. I never doubted God, but I was angry.
Eventually, God brought me to Marked Men for Christ. It’s a nonprofit ministry built on scripture. They host weekend retreats where men come as they are, bringing their wounds.
Through that experience, I had a radical transformation. Before, I was on my knees asking God to save me. Now I stand and ask, “Lord, where do you want me to go next? How can I serve your kingdom?”
Morgan:
Wow. That’s incredible.
Jay:
It’s been a complete transformation. I’ve been running for the Lord ever since.
Morgan:
J, I wish we had more time. Thank you so much for sharing your story and for what you’re doing now to help others.
Jay:
God bless you. Thank you so much.
Morgan:
And viewers, thank you for tuning in to another episode. If you want more information, head on over to Living My Faith, and we’ll see you in the next episode of Faith Works TV.
