Billy Graham’s granddaughter takes ‘critical first step’ to recovery after suffering heart attacks
Rachel-Ruth Lotz, a granddaughter of the late Billy Graham, will enter cardiac rehab after suffering two heart attacks last month.
Her mother, Anne Graham Lotz, took to social media to reveal that her daughter has registered for cardiac rehab, saying the treatments are “a critical first step towards recovery.”
Last week's Facebook update voiced appreciation for supporters’ prayers for the family during the health crisis.
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“Thank you for continuing to pray for all of us in this faith-stretching journey,” she wrote. “Please pray for Rachel-Ruth’s restoration to full health and strength with no setbacks or complications.”
The concerned parent concluded her message just like every other update about her daughter by including a Bible verse and encouraging others to “praise God” just as their family is doing.
“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me,” she ended, quoting Psalm 28:7.
In a Jan. 11 announcement, Graham Lotz said that her daughter was rushed to the hospital with a heart attack “followed by catheterization.” She had a second heart attack the next day, followed by another catheterization.
Graham Lotz, an author and evangelist, said that her daughter had no blockages to cause more traditional heart attacks. Doctors initially told her that her daughter’s heart attacks could have been a result of “broken heart syndrome,” a “temporary” condition usually brought on by “stressful situations and extreme emotions.”
But she was later officially diagnosed with Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection, also known as SCAD. Graham Lotz wrote in a Jan. 14 update that SCAD is “extremely serious and resulted in her two heart attacks.”
A few days later, Graham Lotz said her daughter was cleared to return home.
According to her online profile, Rachel-Ruth Lotz teaches a weekly women’s Bible study at the University of North Carolina and has spoken at numerous events around the country. She graduated from Baylor University and is married to high school football coach Steven Wright. They have three daughters. She also serves on the board of her mother’s ministry, AnGeL Ministries, and chairs the ministry’s weekly prayer team.
Lotz’s hospitalization came months after her brother, Jonathan Lotz, was hospitalized with COVID-19. He made a full recovery and his mother credited prayer for helping the family through the difficult times.
Graham Lotz, 73, lost her husband, Danny Lotz, in 2015. He was found unconscious at the family’s home in North Carolina and spent two days in the intensive care unit before passing away. The couple was married for 49 years and had three kids.
