Christopher Cross was left unable to walk for 10 days after contracting coronavirus
The 'Arthur's Theme (Best That You Can Do)' singer and his girlfriend fell ill after a trip to Mexico City and tested positive for the virus in April and though he appeared to be on the mend three weeks later, he suddenly took a turn for the worse and his legs gave out, leading to him being bedridden in a hospital's intensive care unit
19 October 2020
Doctors diagnosed the 69-year-old star with a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which they believed was triggered by the virus and caused his body to attack his nerves.
He said: "It was the worst 10 days of my life. And I couldn't walk, could barely move. And so, it was certainly the darkest of times for me. You know? It really was touch and go, and tough."
Christopher needed a wheelchair while temporarily paralysed but is now able to walk with the help of a cane, though he is struggling to recover completely.
Speaking in a preview for an upcoming episode of 'CBS Sunday Morning', he said: "My walking is affected. My speech at times can be affected. Memory is a big deal, too. Just neurologically, I'm kind of a little foggy. Now I'm on medication … a nerve pain medication, which also can cause some fogginess.
"But until I can get off it at some point, I won't know how clear I would be. But most people with Guillain-Barre heal about 90% to 100% over about a year. That's what my prognosis is.”
The 'Sailing' hitmaker turned to God during the lowest points of his illness, when he wasn't convinced he would recover.
He said: "There was some come-to-Jesus moments or whatever where I was looking for any help I could get, you know, through this, to get out of this thing. Because I wasn't sure...
"I could tell you that I had a few conversations when I was in there – with whoever he or she is, and just saying, you know, 'If you could just get me out of here, I will be a better person.'"
Christopher was keen to share his story in order to educate others about the effects of coronavirus.
He said: "I'm not a big celebrity, but it's important for people to know you can get this disease. I felt it was my obligation to share with people.
"Look, this is a big deal. Like, you've got to wear your mask. You've got to take care of each other. Because this could happen to you.'"
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