- September 25th, 2006, 4:52 pm
#31785
Falwell Jr. has emergency surgeryJust saw this on the N&A site.
By Ron Brown
Lynchburg News & Advance
September 25, 2006
Jerry Falwell Jr., the vice chancellor of Liberty University, underwent emergency surgery at Bedford Memorial Hospital today to remove a ruptured spleen.
His father, the Rev. Jerry Fal-well, went to Bedford to be at his son’s side. Falwell Jr., who lives in Bedford County, had been driven to the hospital this morn-ing by his wife Becky.
He started experiencing dis-comfort overnight before doctors determined that the spleen was bleeding.
It is unclear what caused the spleen to bleed.
According to Merck Manual Home Edition, “A person can live without a spleen. Sometimes a spleen must be removed surgi-cally because of irreparable damage. When the spleen is removed, the body loses some of its ability to produce protective antibodies and to remove un-wanted microorganisms from the blood. As a result, the body’s ability to fight infections is im-paired.”
Under certain circumstances, antibiotics are required to pre-vent infections.
“He has received transfusions and is doing much better at the present moment,” said Ron Godwin, Liberty University’s chief operating officer. “We don’t know why the spleen enlarged.”
The Rev. Jonathan Falwell, Falwell Jr.’s younger brother and executive pastor of Thomas Road Baptist Church, said Falwell Jr. was in recovery Monday after-noon.
“They say they have it under control and everything is fine,” Jonathan Falwell said. “I don’t know all the medical and techni-cal details of all that. He’s out of surgery.”
Rumors were circulating Monday that Falwell Jr. had been in a serious automobile accident.
“He’s doing fine,” Jonathan Falwell said. “There wasn’t any wreck. That was just a rumor that ran around.”