Alabama Civil Appeals Court Judge Matt Fridy announced Thursday that he is on the road to recovery eight days after suffering a heart attack that sent him to intensive care and caused his former colleagues in the Alabama Legislature to pause for prayers last week.

Fridy, 49, sent thanks for the prayers and said the quick thinking of his wife might have saved his life.

“As a pharmacist, my wife, Kimberly, was quick to identify the seriousness of my chest pain, and because she called 911 when she did, we avoided a very different and unpleasant outcome,” Fridy said.

“I will be forever grateful to the Pelham Fire and Rescue first responders, the emergency room staff, and the HeartSouth and Shelby Baptist cardiac critical care doctors and nurses whose skills, talents, and knowledge ensured that I survived.”

Fridy, a Shelby County Republican, was elected to the Alabama House in 2014 and re-elected in 2018. He resigned from the House in 2020 when he was elected to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals.

Fridy and his wife have five children.

“Countless Alabamians across the state, ranging from close family friends to complete strangers, have sent messages that they are praying for my recovery, and I know that the surprising progress I have already made is a direct result of God’s grace,” Fridy said.

“My heart may have been temporarily weakened, but my will is strong, my mind is sharp, and my determination to heal and help raise our five children is mighty.”

Fridy asked for prayers to continue to enable him to return to his judicial duties as soon as possible. His family also asked for no visitors while they initially focus on his recovery.

Fridy noted the life-threatening heart attack suffered by Sen. Tim Melson, Florence, while on an economic development mission in South Korea in 2023. Melson has also recovered.

“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,” Fridy said.

“I am reminded of the words of Jeremiah 17:14, which tells us: ‘Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.’”