David Johansen, the former lead singer of the New York Dolls, has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The punk icon has a malignant tumour in his brain, his stepdaughter has revealed
A 70s music legend has opened up about his traumatic health journey and his battle with stage four cancer.
Punk legend David Johansen of the New York Dolls, 75, is facing some turbulent times when it comes to his health and finances. This follows the sad news of another 70s star sharing his unfortunate health battle after Elton John opened up to fans.
The New York Dolls singer’s stepdaughter Leah Hennessey has been candid about his condition, launching a fundraiser on Sweet Relief for her rock star ‘dad’.
The performer is facing hefty bills for his ongoing treatment and care. In a heartfelt statement, Leah spilled: “Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumor.
“There have been complications ever since. He’s never made his diagnosis public, as he and my mother Mara are generally very private people, but we feel compelled to share this now, due to the increasingly severe financial burden our family is facing.”
She added that further medical fees have incurred after he fell down the stairs in November and broke his back in two different places. Leah, whose mother is David’s wife Mara Hennessey, shared that he has now “been bedridden and incapacitated”.
Leah said: “Due to the trauma, David’s illness has progressed exponentially and my mother is caring for him around the clock. To continue his treatment and give him the best chance of recovery, David and Mara will need full time assistance. As hilarious and wise as David continues to be, he is physically debilitated and his care exceeds what we are capable of providing without specialised professional help.
“Our most immediate needs are full time nursing, physical therapy and funding for day to day vital living expenses. With professional specialized care, we are hopeful that David can regain some mobility and independence.”
The singer himself also released a statement and penned: “We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends & family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation. This is the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. I’ve never been one to ask for help but this is an emergency. Thank you.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
