Franklin Graham is asking Christians to pray for Duck Dynasty’s much-loved scriptural sage, Phil Robertson.
The 78-year-old Robertson patriarch had a series of health setbacks, made more complicated by a recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
Jase Robertson, talking on the Blaze TV backed Unashamed podcast, said, while the Phil wants to get back onto the podcast, his health problems conflict with his ability to do so.
Ongoing issues with a blood disease and early stages of Alzheimer’s are making Phil’s return a non-starter.
The family is working with a set of doctors to help Phil adjust.
They’re realistic about his condition, yet are also praying for some divine intervention.
Jase shared the family’s response, after adding that the medical consensus considers Phil’s overall condition to be incurable.
Explaining Phil’s absence from the podcast to the ‘Unashamed Nation,’ Jase asserted, at first, no one had much of an idea about what was wrong with his dad.
“The diagnosis took a long time. He’s in pain, losing weight. It was hard to try and figure out what was causing what.”
“If Phil’s unable to go duck hunting, that pretty much tells you all you need to know.”
It’s not all doom and gloom, Jase clarified.
“Phil’s got his good days and his bad ones. Plus, there’s a bunch of things the doctors have up their sleeves that may help to slow the Alzheimer’s down.”
Pastor and Robertson brother, Al, helped break the news, saying,
“You know when great men, and women, get to a point where they’re not what they once were, it’s hard to make the decision about when to pull back.”
“I think about Ronald Reagan, when you go through his life and his career, and you get to the very end, his presidential library has this room that’s your last stop.”
“Reagan wrote a letter when he got the point with his Alzheimer’s that he knew couldn’t function like he used to do.”
“He reads that letter, and I kind of feel that way with Dad.”
Phil hasn’t written a letter, “but his letter lives on” in the legacy he’s handed his family and the millions who have benefited from his grasp of Biblical truth.
“That’s the beauty of sharing the Gospel and impacting people. It never stops from generation to generation to generation,” Al remarked.
“We are Phil’s living letter.”
Nodding in agreement, Jase said, “Phil’s always shared the Gospel with people who visit the house.”
“It’s gonna happen whether it’s the FedEx man, someone that’s lost, or a fisherman. He just has a way.”
Not outside the public announcements, Willie Robertson thanked fans, and friends on Instagram for their support, concerns, and ongoing prayer.
His daughter Sadi posted a reflective statement on Instagram, acknowledging both the family’s grief, and gratitude stating, “Something about it being public makes it even more real.
“I’ve been thinking today about our life being so public. In moments like this, it can feel overwhelming for such bad news to be such public news,” she added.
“But you know what? I’m genuinely so thankful my family chose to make our life public because of how incredible it is that so many people know my grandpa!
“Y’all got to see the way he lived his life! I’m so glad that so many people have been able to learn from his faith and his love for his family.’
“I’m so proud to be his granddaughter. Sad for the days we are in, but grateful for the days we’ve had.”
A reformed reprobate, Phil Robertson’s response to Jesus Christ’s calling on his life was remarkable.
His testimony was recently memorialised in film, via the 2023 Duck Dynasty origin story, ‘The Blind.’
