'700 Club' Televangelist Pat Robertson Suffers Stroke

Televangelist Pat Robertson is recovering from a stroke he suffered on Friday.Robertson, best [...]

By John Connor Coulston

Televangelist Pat Robertson is recovering from a stroke he suffered on Friday.

Robertson, best known for hosting Freeform's The 700 Club, started showing stroke symptoms around 12 p.m. Friday, according to a Christian Broadcasting Network press release. One of his family members noticed the 87-year-old TV personality's symptoms and rushed him to a nearby stroke center.

Robertson was treated by a neurologist/stroke specialist, who ordered an MRI to find the location of the clot and determine the cause of the stroke. The location and cause were not specified in the release.

Medical professionals administered tPA, described as a "clot-busting drug," around 80 minutes after the controversial televangelist's symptoms began. The drug worked, with Robertson conscious and moving his limbs within minutes.

The neurologist who treated Robertson is said to have called the quick recovery a "tPA miracle."

As of Sunday's release, Robertson is awake and alert with an expected hospital discharge on Monday, if not sooner.

The Robertson family expressed they were "grateful" for the medical professionals who treated Pat and urged his fans to become aware of stroke symptoms.

"We encourage everyone to be aware of the symptoms of stroke and also be aware of the location of the nearest stroke center," said Gordon Robertson, Robertson's son and the CBN's CEO. "Stroke kills over 140,000 people in the USA every year and is the leading cause of serious long-term disability. Awareness of the onset of symptoms and then rapid treatment is the key to recovery."

"We cannot express our thanks enough to the medical team that treated my father," he added.

When news of the stroke broke, Robertson's admirers took to Twitter to share their well wishes.

"Praise God that he is safe and on the road to a quick recovery. I will be in prayer," wrote follower Marko de la Garza. "I gave my life to The Lord as a teenager watching The 700 Club, praying with Dr. Robertson, he is like a spiritual father to me."

Many of his critics used the illness as an excuse to criticize some of his teachings and beliefs, but some tried to defuse those responses.

"Pat Robertson, no matter how much we have been offended or annoyed by his rhetoric, needs our collective love," Twitter user Micah McGurk wrote.

The 700 Club airs weekdays at 10 a.m. ET on Freeform.

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