Having being taken off vitality support following a struggle with "a myriad of health issues," WWE icon Billy Graham "dies at age 79 with his partner and child by his side."
WWE icon Billy Graham passed away at the age of 79 after fighting a "myriad of health issues" and being kept alive by a machine.
According to a Crowdfunding website created to aid Graham and his family, Graham had spent several months in the hospital receiving treatment for a "myriad of extremely serious health issues" and had spent many weeks in the ICU.
According to his family, Graham passed away on Wednesday of after having been taken off his life support while his spouse and child were at his side.
Wednesday night, 16-time World Champion superstar Ric Flair stated on Twitter that Billy Graham had passed away and thanked everyone for their influence on his career.
The WWE Hall of Famer was admitted to the hospital in January after the infection in his eardrums progressed to the bones in his ears and to his skull.
He was apparently also dealing with diabetes, severe kidney failure, congestive coronary artery disease, hearing loss, and a host of other medical conditions.
Graham's spouse, Valerie, revealed in a prior health update on his personal Facebook profile on May 15 that she had first resisted turning off his life support.
Valerie provided an update and requested urgent prayers for her husband. Tonight, the doctors planned to turn off his life support. I declined.
He is a fighter, and although his body is weak, his will is powerful. Our hope is in God.
Graham, real name Eldridge Wayne Coleman, tried out for the Canadian Football League prior to his illustrious wrestling career but gained notoriety for an outstanding bodybuilding career.
Graham began his wrestling career in 1969, signing with several firms until making his WWE debut in 1975. At the time, the WWE was known as the World Wide Wrestling Federation.
By then, several of the most well-known wrestlers of the era, including Ric Flair, Austin Idol, Jesse Ventura, and Hulk Hogan, had taken note of his in-arena appearance.
Graham, though, was not without controversy. He used anabolic steroids, and he once boasted that he "innovated steroid use" in the WWE. Graham then launched a public education campaign about the drug's risks.
Over the past 20 years, Graham has struggled with major health challenges.
He had various liver problems that required transplants before being given the diagnosis of cirrhosis and third-stage liver disease back in 2012.
He has since undergone hospitalization for internal bleeding, pneumonia, and potential heart failure.
Back in the year 2022, he had the toes amputated. He was admitted to the hospital at the beginning of this year when a skull and ear infection, which he is still treating, was discovered.
The website stated on April 26 that he had lost 80 pounds, suffered from "extreme weakness," and was receiving powerful intravenous (IV) antibiotics three times each day. He would "need to be on these medications for at least an additional three months," according to the doctors.
The post also stated that he was "completely deaf" as a result of an illness in his ears, head, and sinuses.
In addition to experiencing heart and lung troubles, sores from being in bed for a period of time, depression, and kidney issues that came and went, Graham "also intermittently suffered with problems with his kidneys and been on dialysis."
