Two years ago, Grammy Award-winning contemporary Christian artist Amy Grant suffered a traumatic brain injury after a devastating bike wreck.
Amy Grant was knocked unconscious for more than 10 minutes after a bike wreck near her Nashville home in 2022. The accident left Grant with short-term memory loss and balance issues, something she still struggles with today.
The crash was somewhat a blessing in disguise as it revealed another problem Amy had been living with….a cyst growing on her throat. In a new interview with AARP, Grant shared that the trauma of the bike crash led the cyst to go into “hypergrowth.”
“I had this bike wreck and, unbeknownst to me, I actually had a cyst growing in my throat, and because of the trauma of that bike wreck it went into hypergrowth,” she told E! News earlier this year. “I had this five-hour surgery, and they took it out.”
In addition to having to relearn the lyrics to songs she had been singing for decades, Amy Grant now had to learn how to sing again.
The trauma of the crash and the “shock” of it caused Amy to struggle with depression and forced her to find a new normal.
“I’ve had to be very patient with myself,” said Grant. “I have had a lot of good, hard cries. And I went through depression. But everybody is recovering from something. That’s life. If nothing else, we recover every day from the shock of what it means to age. My memory used to be my superpower. Now I can’t trust my memory. But there are hidden gifts in everything.”
For four months after her accident, Grant couldn’t leave her house, be on her phone, or look any screens. Instead, she had to establish a new routine and make lifestyle changes to help her get through each day.
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The “Baby, Baby” singer said that her daily ritual includes “connecting to myself” by going outdoors and waiting for peace and stillness.
“I have a daily ritual of connecting to myself. I have a cup of coffee and stand with my bare feet on the grass. I welcome myself to the day. Less than a week ago, I was so upset about something, but I went outside in the grass that night . . . and I sat there in silence, but I could see that I was a tiny part of a big picture. And I stayed until I felt peace.”
She further described her lifestyle changes that include drinking non-alcoholic beer and swimming.
“I discovered swimming in 2021 and joined the YMCA, because I travel a lot, and there is a YMCA in most towns. I’m not back to riding a bike yet, because I still have some balance issues. But I’m working on it.”
About Amy Grant’s Bike Accident
Amy Grant was riding her bike near her Nashville home when she hit a pothole and hit her head. Despite the fact that she was wearing a helmet, the singer suffered a brain injury and cuts and abrasions.
She was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she was treated for several days before going home to complete her recovery.
Though she is still dealing with some effects of the accident, Amy Grant has come a long way and will return to the Ryman Auditorium later this year for her highly anticipated Christmas residency alongside her husband, Vince Gill.