Many who know him are using the M-word. It may be a miracle that Judge Matt Fridy has recovered enough after a major heart attack to come home. He still has a long way to go, but he can continue his recovery in the comfort of his home in Shelby County.
The 49-year-old had suffered a heart attack on April 15. He has remained hospitalized and in rehab since.
On Friday, he came home.
Fridy was able to make a post on his Facebook account that included his photo with his family – wife Kim and five children.
"I am blessed beyond measure. I am home. There's a road ahead and I'm excited to have the opportunity to walk it with these people. There's a story to be told at some point, but, for now, please know how much your prayers, your messages, and your encouragement have meant to us," Fridy said on Facebook.
At the time this article is being written, Fridy's post had generated 768 likes and 324 comments. Most mentioned praying for the Fridy's, and a number called his recovery a "miracle." He will need continued prayer and miracles on the journey to good health.
Fridy had been a lawyer with Birmingham's Wallace-Jordan firm. He had run unsuccessfully for state chairman of the Alabama Republican Party.
Fridy was first elected to State House District 73 in 2014, representing Alabaster, Helena, Montevallo and Pelham. It was very much a home district for Fridy as he graduated from the University of Montevallo. He now serves on the University of Montevallo's Board of Trustees.
He was re-elected in 2018 but served only two years of that term. In 2020, statewide voters elevated him to the Court of Civil Appeals, where he still serves.
While recovering in the hospital, Fridy had posted:
"Roughly 805,000 heart attacks occur in the U.S. each year, so my experience is not unique or any more important than millions of others who have survived and recovered," he outlined, adding, "I am reminded of the words of Jeremiah 17:14, which tell us: 'Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.'"
Jim' Zig' Zeigler's beat is the colorful and positive about Alabama -- her people, places, events, groups and prominent deaths. He is a former Alabama Public Service Commissioner and State Auditor. You can reach him for comments at [email protected].
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