DAVID Johansen, the last surviving New York Doll, described life with stage four cancer and a brain tumour as “still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on”.
But then the 75-year-old had a fall in November, breaking his back in two places, and was left bed-ridden, prompting him and his family to make his condition public and to appeal for help to bring in carers.
The Sweet Relief charity posted a statement from Johansen’s daughter Leah Hennessey which read: “As some, but not many of you know, David has been in intensive treatment for stage four cancer for most of the past decade.
“Five years ago at the beginning of the pandemic we discovered that David’s cancer had progressed and he had a brain tumour. 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.
“To make matters worse, the day after Thanksgiving David fell down the stairs and broke his back in two places.
“After a week in the hospital and a successful surgery David has been bedridden and incapacitated. 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 specialszed professional help.
“David has worked continuously as a singer and actor for the better part of six decades, to the delight of his fans all over the world. However for the past five years, David has been unable to work as a performer.
“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.”
You can support David Johansen HEREÂ
Image: Wikipedia
