Rev. Billy Graham
hospitalized for pneumonia - Prayers requested
By the CNN Wire Staff
May 11, 2011 6:48 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Billy Graham in good spirits and humor, spokesman says
Evangelist being treated at hospital in Asheville, North
Carolina
He is reported to be in stable condition and alert
Spokesperson expects Billy Graham to go home soon and requests
all pray for his recovery
(CNN) -- Famed evangelist Billy Graham, 92, was being treated
Wednesday at an Asheville, North Carolina, hospital for pneumonia
following an overnight health episode, according to a spokesman.
Graham was in good spirits and humor and signed all admission
forms, spokesman A. Larry Ross said.
Initial pulmonary testing suggested pneumonia, and further tests
showed Graham's heart was normal, Mission Hospital said.
The minister, who lives in nearby Montreat, North Carolina, was
reported to be in stable condition and fully alert. He was
receiving antibiotics.
No date was set for Graham's release, but Ross said he hopes it
will be soon.
Graham had episodes of sweating and coughing overnight, according
to Ross. The evangelist had a slight fever and difficulty
breathing, but was not believed to be in an acute situation.
The founder of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has
preached to millions over six decades, and has provided counsel to
generations of U.S. presidents, beginning with President Harry S.
Truman.
Graham's son, Franklin, was on a humanitarian mission in North
Korea for Samaritan's Purse, a relief and evangelism organization.
Franklin Graham leads the evangelistic association and was not
expected to return home because of his father's illness.
Daughter Anne Graham Lotz will continue a missionary trip to
Israel, Ross said.
The pastor expressed appreciation to the medical staff and
hospital and had a large lunch because he missed breakfast, Ross
said.
Billy Graham has been hospitalized or treated for several ailments
over the years, including head surgery, a fall, intestinal
bleeding, prostate cancer and Parkinson's disease. According to
Ross, Graham has remained in good health overall.
Age-related conditions -- including macular degeneration and
hearing loss -- have kept Graham at home in recent years, but the
evangelist is involved in writing projects, including a manuscript
for a book about aging, Ross said.
Graham's wife, Ruth Bell Graham, died in 2007.
CNN's Anna Rhett Miller contributed to this report.