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Bringing Up Bates’ Gil Bates Hospitalized After Suffering Heart Attack

Watch: Katie Bates Reacts to Pregnancy Rumors After Husband Travis Clark’s Cheating Scandal

Gil Bates is recovering after a major health scare.

The Bringing Up Bates alum—father to 19 children with wife Kelly Jo Bates—was hospitalized after experiencing a heart attack Sept. 28.

“Once again the Lord has been so merciful to us!” Kelly Jo shared alongside a selfie with her husband laying in a hospital bed in a Sept. 30 Instagram post. “For the past two weeks Gil has felt an unusual feeling in his chest lasting about 30 seconds off and on, and occasionally his jaw would hurt. He wasn’t in pain, but he felt like something wasn’t right. Busy schedules, work, and the fact that he didn’t know for certain that something was wrong kept him from going to the hospital.”

Finally, Gil decided to take a trip to the ER earlier this week “thinking they’d do some blood work and send him home,” but it turned out to be a much more severe cardiac episode.

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“Instead, he was quickly whisked into a room and was told he was having a mild heart attack,” Kelly Jo continued. “They immediately started him on nitro and heparin and kept him stable until the day shift doctors could do a heart cath.”

On Sept. 29, Gil underwent the procedure, which revealed his LAD artery “had 80 percent blockage in that artery and a lot of calcium build up.”

But the 61-year-old’s symptoms actually stemmed from a 95 percent blockage in his RAD artery—and he had additional blockage in a third artery.

The Bates Family/Instagram

“The doctor said Gil had been a ‘ticking time bomb.’” Kelly Jo continued. “He was extremely close to having a major heart attack! Fortunately, it was corrected in time, and with GOD’S GRACE (and a wonderful team of doctors), we’re living out a MIRACLE and are going home today! The doctor said it could’ve been a VERY different story.”

Going forward, Gil will begin cardiac therapy, as well as making some other “diet and medicine changes” to prioritize his health.

“We’re beyond thankful for the love, care, and many prayers we’ve been showered with from family, friends, & medical staff these past two days,” Kelly Jo emphasized. “We would also covet your prayers, but mostly, we just want to lift our hands in praise to a powerful, wonderful, loving God for extending Gil’s life & letting us have another day to witness His goodness.”

For a deeper look into the Bates family, keep reading…

The Bates Family/Instagram

Gil Bates & Kelly BatesSouth Carolina state wrestling champ William Gilvin “Gil” Bates met lab assistant Kelly Bates (née Callaham) at South Carolina Christian liberal arts school Anderson University, when she was tasked with tutoring him in Chemistry. Proving they had plenty of it, he proposed in October 1987, while they were finishing up college at Tennessee’s Carson-Newman University. Marrying just two months later, the couple didn’t intend on having a large brood, but neither believed in birth control. “We both came to the conclusion that we just wanted to trust God with how many children we had,” Gil told Dateline in 2011, admitting they assumed they’d cap out at two or three.Eldest son Zachary Bates was born a year after their wedding; their 19^th child—son Jeb Bates—arrived in 2012. As for rattling off the names of their oversized brood, Kelly joked of Gil, who runs excavating company Bates Tree Service, “Oh, Daddy’s good at that. His memory’s better than mine.”

Zach and Whitney Bates/Facebook

Zachary BatesLike his siblings, Zachary (born Dec. 30, 1988) was homeschooled and a dedicated student of Bill Gothard’s Institute in Basic Life Principles. Though his courtship with Sarah Reith was captured on 19 Kids and Counting it was future wife Whitney Perkins who captured his heart while working as a Sonic carhop. He proposed two months after the two started a courtship in 2013, marrying that December. (John-David Duggar served as one of the groomsmen. The couple went on to welcome sons Bradley (in October 2014) and Jayden (in June 2021) and daughters Kaci (in June 2016), Khloé (in November 2019) and Lily Jo (in August 2023). In September 2025, they revealed they’ll welcome their sixth in 2026.In addition to working for the family tree business, Zachary has served as a police officer, a county commissioner and a real estate agent.

Michael Keilen/Instagram

Michaela Bates KeilenArriving 13 months after her older brother on Jan. 23, 1990, Michaela Bates Keilen learned to sew as a child, stitching together most of the family’s dresses and overseeing the laundry. With future husband Brandon Keilen unable to propose until he graduated from bible college, they courted for two years before their April 2015 engagement.Settling in Chicago after their wedding that August, the pair struggled to build a family, with Michaela detailing her fertility struggles in blog posts and on YouTube. After suffering a miscarriage in 2021, they became foster parents for two young boys.

Instagram/Erin Bates

Erin Bates Paine“Looking back on my childhood and the way that my parents raised me, I can’t think of anything that was negative,” Erin Bates Pain (who joined the fam on May 2, 1991) told People. “Everything, looking back, is really positive, and we made the best memories.” While they didn’t have a television “we substituted that for playtime with dad,” she continued. “Or, you know, playing games as a family or making memories. So, I don’t feel like we missed out on anything and, actually, I think we were smarter because of it.”Which meant that after she married Charles “Chad” Stephen Paine III in 2013, they were eager for a big brood of their own. A blood clotting disorder let to several miscarriages before they were able to welcome Carson in May 2015, Brooklyn in August 2016, Everly in May 2018, Holland in November 2019 and Finley in January 2022. And though she believed they wouldn’t be able to have more children, they went on to grow their family with William in October 2023 and Henry in August 2025. Revealing that Erin had gone into septic shock following Henry’s delivery, Chad wrote on Instagram. “We would so appreciate your prayers for Erin as she continues to recover from some complications.”By October, she revealed she’d begun to walk, writing on Instagram, “They might be a little wobbly, but they are steps I wasn’t sure I’d ever take again.”

Lawson Bates/Instagram

Lawson BatesA young entrepreneur who opened his own lawn-cutting business Lawson’s Lawncare at 13, Lawson Bates (born July 27, 1992) was linked to Jana Duggar after commenting on a few of her Instagram posts. But he announced his engagement to Tiffany Espensen after he proposed during an October 2021 getaway to Italy. “Getting to know Tiffany—her heart, her passions, and her dreams— has been the greatest joy of my life,” the singer-songwriter told People at the time, “and we have been making so many wonderful memories together over the past year.”Wed on a yacht off the coast of San Diego in May 2022, the couple suffered a miscarriage before welcoming son William in July 2024. Less than a year later, they revealed baby No. 2 was on the way. They welcomed son Theodore in December 2025.

Esther Bates/Instagram

Nathan BatesKenneth Nathaniel “Nathan” Bates joined the fam on Aug. 29, 1993. Though he featured his courtship with Ashley Salyer on Bringing Up Bates, he would later get engaged to Esther Keyes in May 2021. Married that October (sharing their first kiss at the altar like many of his siblings), they welcomed daughter Kenna a year later. Son Graham came along in October 2024. Wanting to be a preacher at a young age, he’s served by going on a number of mission trips and working as a first responder.

Alyssa Webster/Instagram

Alyssa Bates WebsterBorn on Nov. 9, 1994, Alyssa Bates Webster was the family’s secretary and clothes shopper along with preparing many of their meals. Working on Florida Congressman Daniel Webster‘s campaign for the United States House of Representatives, she met his son John Webster. Engaged in January 2014 (they celebrated the betrothal at Orlando’s Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse), they wed that May. The Florida-based pair welcomed daughter Alli in April 2015, Lexi in January 2017, Zoey in March 2018 and Maci in February 2021 and son Rhett in March 2023.

Bobby andTori Smith/Instagram

Tori Bates SmithArriving 12 months after her older sister on Dec. 20, 1995, Tori Bates Smith began courting Bobby Smith in 2016, their romance featured on the family’s reality series. Married months after their engagement, in December 2017, the Crown College of the Bible elementary education grad and Bobby welcomed son Robert IV in November 2018, followed by son Kolter in May 2020, daughter Charlotte in June 2021, daughter Cambree in August 2022 and son Weston in May 2024. And in October 2025, they shared on Instagram, “Baby #6 is joining our crew in March 2026!”

Lydia Romeike Bates/Instagram

Trace BatesWith a name meaning harvester of the white fields, Trace Bates arrived on Feb. 1, 1997. Following a televised courtship with Chaney Kahle, he was introduced to future wife Lydia Romeike through sister Josie Bates Balka. They shared their March 2022 engagement on YouTube (“I just know that Lydia is my best friend, and she’s the most positive thing in my life,” he detailed) and wed in front of 350 guests (including Jason Duggar, who served as an usher) that October. Son Ryker joined the family in October 2023. In June 2025, they welcomed their rainbow baby, daughter Kaia.

Carlin (Bates) Stewart/Instagram

Carlin Bates StewartBorn on April 11, 1998, Carlin Bates Stewart graduated from high school alongside brother Trace after taking dual enrollment at a local college. Sister Erin introduced her to Evan Stewart, the couple announcing their engagement in September 2018. Married the following May (with Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth as a bridesmaid), they welcomed daughter Layla in January 2020, with the birth featured on Bringing Up Bates. Son Zade arrived in March 2022 and the pair announced the birth of their third child, daughter Navy Kate, in September 2025.

Josie Balka/Instagram

Josie Bates BalkaGil and Kelly’s 10^th child arrived on Aug. 4, 1999. She befriended future husband Kelton Balka after they met at a 2014 piano recital, but the two didn’t begin courting until 2017. Engaged in June 2018 in a proposal featured on-camera, they married that October, again, as cameras rolled. Daughter Willow arrived in July 2019, with daughter Hazel following in June 2021. Son Miles joined the group in February 2024 and the pair announced they were expecting again in April 2025. Son Brooks joined the fam that December.

Katie Clark/Instagram

Katie Bates ClarkArriving on Oct. 5, 2000, Katie Bates Clark was bestowed with a name meaning pure grace. Announcing her romance with Travis Clark in a 2019 Facebook Live, she revealed their oceanside engagement in April 2021. Married that December, they began growing their family with the February 2023 arrival of daughter Hailey and the September 2024 arrival of son Harvey. Graduating from The Crown College with a cosmetology license, she’s worked as a stylist for her sister Josie’s company, Effortless Beauty and a model for Bates Sisters Boutique.In January 2026, Travis revealed in an Instagram Stories post, “I was unfaithful to my wife. I had an affair and repeatedly broke her trust. There is no excuse for what I did. This was my failure and my responsibility alone.”Though Katie acknowledged days later, “my trust has been broken,” she shared, “I do believe in God’s power to restore, and my heart’s desire is to preserve our marriage.”

The Bates Family/Instagram

Jackson BatesOne of the so-called three musketeers alongside Warden Bates and Isaiah Bates, Jackson Bates made his arrival on Feb. 17, 2002. He met future wife Emerson Wells at a rodeo in Florida, announcing their engagement in March 2023. Married that October (Jason Duggar was a groomsman), they welcomed son David in July 2025.

The Bates Family/Instagram

Warden BatesNicknamed “Tigger” due to his bouncy nature, Warden (born May 19, 2003) loves sports and singing. He’s juggled work with both his dad’s excavating business and brother-in-law Chad’s Paine Construction business.

The Bates Family/Instagram

Isaiah BatesThe third of the musketeers arrived on Oct. 16, 2004. Working for both his dad and brother-in-law Chad, The Crown College grad (he received his one-year Bible Certificate for Foundation of Christian Life in 2023) opened his own lawn care business in 2022.

The Bates Family/Instagram

Addallee BatesSpending time in the NICU after her Feb. 17, 2006 birth, Addalee Bates struggled with breathing complications due to her premature birth and wears hearing aids. Her parents added several extra letters to her name to remind her of her second chance at life. She completed her one-year bible program in 2025.

The Bates Family/Instagram

Ellie BatesWith a name meaning strong light, Ellie Bates joined the crew on April 28, 2007. She often poses in photo shoots for Bates Sisters Boutique.

The Bates Family/Facebook

Callie-Anna BatesThe youngest of Gil and Kelly’s daughters, Callie-Anna Bates was born on Aug. 2, 2009. The “most animated” of their crew, as Kelly put it on Instagram in August 2020, “People are drawn to you like a magnet!”

The Bates Family/Instagram

Judson BatesSince Jud Bates’ Sept. 15, 2010 arrival, he’s “grown in the blink of an eye,” Kelly wrote in a December 2020 Instagram post. Though he has had a few setbacks, breaking his right collarbone twice—once playing football and another riding his e-bike.

The Bates Family/Instagram

Jeb BatesCompleting the family, Jeb Bates was born on Feb. 1, 2012 and spent some time in the NICU. “You would think with your 19th child, you wouldn’t get excited and nervous,” Gil told People at the time. “But I was as nervous with this baby as I was with our first.”

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