Amy Grant Shares Scar Photo After Emergency Open-Heart Surgery

What Happened: “Saved by Love” Gospel singer-songwriter Amy Grant recently shared photos of her June 3 open-heart surgery as a testament to the power of prayer in her recovery. Grant, who is 59 years old, underwent unexpected surgery for a congenital heart defect known as partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR). As someone whose career revolves around faith, Grant saw the “miraculous” quality of her recovery as an opportunity to pray to love and recognize everyone’s humanity during difficult times.

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Hi everybody…. I know there is so much going on in the world right now. This is a crazy, broken, yet beautiful time. And in the midst of all of that – in the midst of all of our awareness and becoming and learning to love and see each other – I’ve had this really unique experience of having an unanticipated open heart surgery. The only way I can explain my experience would be to ask you to imagine a non-runner who was signed up for a marathon. I didn’t want it, but I had to have it anyway and it was a week ago Wednesday. And as people heard about the surgery I started getting messages: “I’m praying for you” …“I’m praying for you”. People I worked with decades ago, people who have come to my concerts or listen to my music, my work family, people on social media, and my own friends and family all offered their prayers. And now, ten days later, I just want to say, from the moment I went to the hospital, if it really were a marathon race, I felt like I got into that runners block and as soon as it was time for the race to start there was this massive West Texas wind at my back.. just pushing me through. Even stuff I was really scared about felt like nothing more than just a deep breath and something supernatural pushed me through it. My recovery has honestly felt miraculous. And so I want to say thank you to each person who said a prayer for me. Prayer changes everything. Let’s keep those prayers going for our country and lets turn all the brokenness into love and seeing each other. I love you. Amy

A post shared by Amy Grant (@amygrantofficial) on Jun 14, 2020 at 10:07am PDT

The Frontlines: What is commonly known as open-heart surgery is any surgery where the operating physician cuts the chest open to reach the heart, often to repair or replace damaged areas of the heart. Coronary artery bypass grafting or CABG is the most common type of open-heart surgery. Here is more about Grant’s condition and open-heart surgery in general:  

• PAPVR, the heart defect Grant needed surgery for, is a rare congenital defect present in only 0.4 to 0.7% of postmortem examinations
• According to a 2017 study, the highest-risk time for people who have undergone heart bypass surgery is the first 30 days following the procedure
• Risk following open-heart surgery jumps eight to 10 years after the procedure, indicating the need for close monitoring and follow-up care
• Recovery from heart surgery is gradual. It may take up to six weeks to start feeling better, and up to six months to receive the full benefits of the procedure 

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A Mighty Voice: Our contributor, Glenn Barnard, shared his experience with open heart surgery in an exposition about life and baseball — and the curveballs heart surgery can throw your way. “This, in essence, sums up my approach to life. For everything I know about my own heart and health, sometimes it doesn’t matter. Sometimes you just have to do. You just have to go with the flow. You just have to take the next pitch, and it may be a curve ball.” You can submit your first person story, too.

From Our Community: 

Tomorrow is my first day of work since my Surgery #CheerMeOn

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Other things to know:

If you, a loved one or a friend is facing open heart surgery, here are a few Mighty articles to help you make sense of the experience:

• What I’ve Learned From Open Heart Surgery 
• How My CHD Taught Me to Live 
• How Sushi Relates to My Upcoming Heart Transplant 
• How Volunteering at a Children’s Hospital Changed My Perspective of Chronic Illness 

More helpful thinking: Considering open-heart surgery? See comprehensive information about what to expect along with alternatives to the procedure here.