Amy Grant describes 'miraculous' recovery from open heart surgery

By Megan Stone

Singer Amy Grant is resting comfortably after undergoing "unanticipated open heart surgery."

The "Baby, Baby" singer, who underwent the procedure last week to correct a rare congenital defect, told her Instagram followers Monday that her recovery has "honestly felt miraculous."

Grant compared going into surgery to being "a non-runner who was signed up for a marathon," but added that support from her loved ones and fans felt like "this massive West Texas wind at my back... just pushing me through."

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Amy Grant speaks onstage at the 12th Annual T.J. Martell Foundation Nashville Gala, Feb. 24, 2020 in Nashville, Tenn.

"Even stuff I was really scared about felt like nothing more than just a deep breath and something supernatural pushed me through it," she wrote. "And so I want to say thank you to each person who said a prayer for me. Prayer changes everything. Let's keep those prayers going for our country and lets [sic] turn all the brokenness into love and seeing each other."

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Hi everybody…. I know there is so much going on in the world right now. This is a crazy, broken, yet beautiful time. And in the midst of all of that - in the midst of all of our awareness and becoming and learning to love and see each other - I've had this really unique experience of having an unanticipated open heart surgery. The only way I can explain my experience would be to ask you to imagine a non-runner who was signed up for a marathon. I didn't want it, but I had to have it anyway and it was a week ago Wednesday. And as people heard about the surgery I started getting messages: "I'm praying for you" …"I'm praying for you". People I worked with decades ago, people who have come to my concerts or listen to my music, my work family, people on social media, and my own friends and family all offered their prayers. And now, ten days later, I just want to say, from the moment I went to the hospital, if it really were a marathon race, I felt like I got into that runners block and as soon as it was time for the race to start there was this massive West Texas wind at my back.. just pushing me through. Even stuff I was really scared about felt like nothing more than just a deep breath and something supernatural pushed me through it. My recovery has honestly felt miraculous. And so I want to say thank you to each person who said a prayer for me. Prayer changes everything. Let's keep those prayers going for our country and lets turn all the brokenness into love and seeing each other. I love you. Amy

A post shared by Amy Grant (@amygrantofficial) on Jun 14, 2020 at 10:07am PDT

Fans have known of Grant's heart condition for several months.

The 59-year-old first announced in February, in honor of Heart Health Awareness Month, that she had been diagnosed with the rare heart condition.

"I want to send a shout out to my doctor, John Bright Cage," the Christian singer told fans. "He suggested I have a check up because of my Dad's heart history."

Grant was happy she followed his advice and underwent a "battery of tests" that revealed she's unknowingly had partial anomalous pulmonary venous return, or PAPVAR, "since birth." PAPVR causes a mixing of oxygen-rich blood and oxygen-poor blood as it flows into the heart's right atrium instead of the left, because the pulmonary veins have incorrectly attached to the heart's upper right chamber, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The six-time Grammy winner happily assured fans that she was "asymptomatic" and that the heart condition was "fixable." She hoped that, by sharing her personal medical history, she would inspire fans to take their heart health more seriously.

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Since February is heart health awareness month, I want to send a shout out to my doctor, John Bright Cage. He suggested I have a check up because of my Dad's heart history As always, I am feeling great, but the battery of tests he put me through show that I have had a heart condition since birth. The first good news is that I am completely asymptomatic. The second good news is that it's fixable, so instead of concerts and camping trips this summer, I am going to take care of my heart. Are you taking care of yours?! Please do. xo, Amy #HeartHealth #PAPVR #EveryHeartbeat

A post shared by Amy Grant (@amygrantofficial) on Feb 12, 2020 at 6:37pm PST

ABC News' Lesley Messer contributed to this report.