By Alan Duke
CNN
(CNN) — Country singer Randy Travis left a Texas hospital and entered a physical therapy facility, his publicist said Wednesday.
The release and transfer came three weeks after Travis was admitted to The Heart Hospital at Baylor Plano for treatment of congestive heart failure.
He later suffered a stroke, which doctors said was a complication of the heart failure.
“Thanks to all the fans and friends for your continued prayers and support as Randy continues on the road to recovery,” his fiance Mary Davis said in a written statement Wednesday.
Travis, 54, was initially hospitalized July 7 at Baylor Medical Center at McKinney, Texas, with a presumptive cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure, according to publicist Kirt Webster. The singer transferred to The Heart Hospital the next day.
Travis’ illness is related to his “recently acquired viral cardiomyopathy,” one of his doctors said. Viral cardiomyopathy is a disorder where a virus attacks the muscles of the heart, causing the heart to beat slower, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website. In some cases, the heart can stop, it said.
Travis had a tough year in 2012 with arrests for assault and public intoxication, which earned him probation.
Travis was at the forefront of the “New Traditionalist” movement in the 1980s and 1990s, but he faded as the ’90s wore on. He made a comeback after turning to gospel music in 1999. His song “Three Wooden Crosses” won song of the year in 2003 from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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Official updates on Mr. Travis’ condition will be available on his website as his condition changes.
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