Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson Health Crisis Draws Christian Support
The Christian entertainment community has rallied around “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson following recent news of his declining health. Pastor Greg Laurie of Harvest Christian Fellowship called for nationwide prayer support, stating, “Phil Robertson has been a bold voice for Christ in Hollywood. Now it’s our turn to stand with him in prayer during this challenging season.”
“The prayers of millions are working,” reported Charisma News, noting brief periods of improvement in Robertson’s condition. Christian author and speaker Beth Moore shared via social media, “Phil’s testimony has impacted countless lives. His unwavering faith, even in the face of this trial, continues to inspire the body of Christ.”
Sadie Robertson Huff, Phil’s granddaughter and Christian influencer, recently shared on Instagram, “My grandfather’s faith remains as strong as ever. Even with his memory failing, his conviction in his beliefs hasn’t changed one bit.”
“Tell you the truth, it hasn’t been good,” his son Jase Robertson said, according to “The Epoch Times.” “I’m just giving the blunt truth. I’ll say, ‘Not good.’ We’re doing the best we can, so I think that’s just what you do.”
Jase initially revealed the diagnosis in December, noting that Phil was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s as a result of a longstanding blood disease that rapidly sped up his symptoms.
“It’s like accelerated, and it’s causing problems with his entire body,” he said. “And he has early stages of Alzheimer’s. So, if you put those things together, he’s really not doing well. He’s struggling.”
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder affecting a person’s ability to function and is the most common cause of dementia, according to the Mayo Clinic. Jase also gave a health update on his mother, Kay Robertson, who suffered a fall in February, which led to surgery.
“For my mom, it’s been a lot better this past week, because she was really not doing good,” he said. “She got an infection from a fall, from a cut that had happened earlier. She’s still in the hospital, but [now it’s] more rehab, physically, and trying to get her to eat.”
The Robertson family rose to fame on the popular series “Duck Dynasty,” which aired on A&E network from 2012 to 2017. The series chronicled their lives, led by the patriarch and his wife, as Louisiana-based duck hunters who also founded the Duck Commander Co. Earlier this year, A&E announced that the family would return to television screens for a reboot with “Duck Dynasty: The Revival.” The show, which is set to premiere this summer, will feature “the next generation of Robertsons living on the family homestead in Louisiana.” However, Phil himself is not expected to make an appearance.
Phil Robertson turned his life over to God in the mid-1970s after living recklessly in his native rural Louisiana. The professional hunter and reality TV star previously was a stellar athlete in football, baseball and track who eventually found himself hanging with the wrong crowd.
“Until I was 28, I didn’t have any faith,” he previously told Fox News. “Here I am biblically speaking — God said I was under the control of the evil one. I didn’t know that. I was just getting high and drunk with the worst of them. I had built a track record that was not a good one. I then realized, ‘What was I thinking? All that mischief and carrying on.’ I came to know Jesus. I looked up one day and I said, ‘Man, I’m driven to do this. I have to do it.'”
–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice
