Facing a major health crisis can change the way someone looks at life. For many, surviving a major issue makes them more grateful for every day they have left. Grammy winner Amy Grant is no different. She suffered two major health scares in the last few years. Fortunately, she survived. Now, she looks at every new day with gratitude. Additionally, she’s working to help people avoid some of the issues she faced.
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Grant’s health issues began in 2020 when she learned that she had a heart condition called partial anomalous pulmonary venous return or PAPVR. The condition causes the heart to work harder to oxygenate the blood and can cause breathing issues, lung infections, or swelling of the heart’s chambers. The condition led to her open-heart surgery later that year. Then, in 2022, Grant suffered a severe brain injury caused by a bicycle wreck.
Recently, she sat down with People Magazine to discuss those health scares, her new outlook on life, and her campaign with the American Heart Association.
Amy Grant on Her New Lease on Life
During the interview, Amy Grant revealed that she received her PAPVR diagnosis after her husband, Vince Gill, had a regular checkup with his doctor. Before receiving the diagnosis, she just dealt with the symptoms. “I just learned to push through because that’s what women do,” she said. “I was one of those women who’s like, ‘I’m fine. I’m the Energizer Bunny,’ and then I just would’ve died. And I’m not ready to die,” she added.
The brain injury she received in 2022 caused cognitive and memory issues that have since improved. “I would just say, ‘What if I’m never all the way back? ‘ Because my processing was so slow. I could be in the room with people, but I didn’t have a comeback,” she explained. “Now, I feel fully in control of all my capacity,” she said of her current state. “Whatever memory issues I have, I think are age-appropriate.”
“I’m finding a different balance between music and family and just trying to be a lot more involved, as my adult children will allow it,” she said of her new perspective. “This has made us look at each other with a kind of appreciation. I think being together was a little bit on autopilot, and it doesn’t feel that way now,” she added, revealing how her experiences impacted her relationship with Gill.
Featured Image by Jason Kempin/Getty Images
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