Falwell's condition upgraded to "stable"

March 30, 2005

The Lynchburg General Hospital in Lynchburg, Virginia, reports that Jerry Falwell's condition has been ugraded to stable and his respirator has been removed. His lungs remained congested.

Doctor now say that the viral pneumonia that had hospitalized Falwell, 71, just five weeks previously had not returned and he did not have a heart attack.

He was admitted Tuesday in a state of "respiratory arrest" and needed emergency resuscitation. He had been unconscious for 5-8 minutes although a cardiologist, Dr. Carl Moore, said testing showed "his heart is strong" and there was no evidence of mental or neurological damage.