Seth Udinski, FISM News
Early this week, 69-year-old Rev. Franklin Graham had a major procedure done on his heart. Sources say the founder of Samaritan’s Purse and son of the late pastor Billy Graham is recovering well after surgery to treat an inflammation of the heart, thanks to a skilled team of doctors at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Samaritan’s Purse released a statement revealing the nature of Graham’s surgery:
Franklin Graham successfully underwent a specialized heart surgery today at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. In recent months, Franklin had developed constrictive pericarditis, inflammation, and hardening of the sac around the heart that compresses the heart and prevents it from working properly. The surgery involved removing the pericardium…Mr. Graham said that he is looking forward to multiple opportunities across the globe in 2022 to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invite people to put their faith in Him.
This comes only weeks after the popular evangelist completed a national preaching tour entitled “God Loves You.” FISM News previously reported that over 5,000 people trusted in Christ during this two-week tour in September, and various city stops between Chicago and Los Angeles.
Graham praised his medical team at the Mayo Clinic, saying afterward,
The surgery involved removing the pericardium, and we thank God that it went well. The team here at Mayo Clinic does such an incredible job — I couldn’t speak more highly of them.