The family of Texas Tech Baseball Special Assistant Ray Hayward continues to request prayers for healing as Hayward battles ongoing difficulties stemming from a heart valve procedure on March 21, 2022. The family has launched a Caring Bridge page that can be accessed HERE where supporters can subscribe to a journal that will update his progress.
According to the Caring Bridge journal and background information from his family, Hayward has met with severe complications stemming from the initial procedure. Hayward was kept sedated for an extended period of time and has required multiple procedures to address various complications. He has met each challenge head-on and made significant progress. He is fully awake and aware of all that has gone on over the last six weeks and his attitude remains positive. He continues to surprise his healthcare providers as he grows stronger and meets new milestones on the road to recovery.
Because Hayward’s heart continues to need the assistance of various devices in order to function efficiently, it has been determined that the best course of treatment for him is to seek a heart transplant. Hayward, 61, is currently working to regain the strength necessary, and to work to meet the milestones required, to be placed on the transplant list.
Because 13 was Hayward’s number as a player it remains significant to Hayward and his family. They request that Red Raiders and friends set a reminder to pray for Hayward each day at 1300 hours (1:00 pm). His family requests prayers that Hayward’s body heal in order to accept a new heart without complications and for the doctors and nurses who are caring for him daily.
After Hayward’s surgery, Texas Tech Head Coach Tim Tadlock spoke about his friend and staff member after the Red Raiders faced California Baptist on March 22.
“His family is in our prayers, we talked about it before the game today, he’s one of my best friends,” said Tadlock feeling the emotions of the situation. “You think of what he’s going through, we kind of think of all surgeries nowadays as being standard procedures, and it was kind of standard until about 5:00 yesterday [Monday, March 21] afternoon.
What he means to our program, there’s a lot of wisdom there, he’s seen a lot of baseball. You could go across the United States and talk to baseball people, he’s one of the most respected baseball men in the world, not to mention just college baseball. He brings a steady hand to our organization and our program, just having a guy like that around to let young guys bounce things off of him, he’s so steady in what he does and how he goes about things.
As far as his and my relationship, it has developed over the last 10 years, we’ve known each other probably since the mid-90s. We know he’ll come through it, but obviously the more prayers for him we can get, the better.”
For those who wish to contribute financially to assist the Hayward family with medical expenses there is an opportunity to do so here.
Our initial story about Hayward’s condition including information about his playing, scouting, and coaching career can be found here: Family of Ray Hayward Requests Prayers
