Sen. Lindsey Graham died from an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to preliminary findings released Sunday by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia. Graham, 71, passed away Saturday night at his Washington home after what his office had first described only as a "brief and sudden illness."
The medical examiner's office said Graham's death certificate remains pending until toxicology and further testing are complete. Emergency responders had answered a call for cardiac arrest at his home Saturday evening. Graham had returned just hours earlier from a trip to Ukraine, where staff say he showed no signs of feeling unwell.
An aortic dissection occurs when a tear forms in the wall of the body's main artery, and it can turn fatal within minutes when untreated. Doctors note the underlying condition, arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, develops gradually and often shows no warning signs before a sudden, severe event.
As previously reported by JubileeCast, Graham was a longtime member of Corinth Baptist Church in Seneca, South Carolina, where he was known for quietly slipping into the back of services. He had spoken openly in past interviews about accepting Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior, even as he represented constituents of every faith background during his more than two decades in the Senate.
Graham's family has continued to ask for prayer and privacy as funeral arrangements are made public.
JubileeCast continues to keep Sen. Graham's family and loved ones in prayer during this time.
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