Singer Sufjan Stevens ‘learning to walk again’ after Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosis

Singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens said on Wednesday that he has been hospitalized after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.

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The Grammy Award-nominated singer, 48, shared the news about the autoimmune disorder in a post on his website on Wednesday morning.

“Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility,” Stevens wrote. “My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests -- MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc. -- the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barré Syndrome.”

According to the World Health Organization, persons with Guillain-Barré syndrome experience the body’s immune system attacking the peripheral nervous system, which can affect nerves that control muscle movement. That can result in muscle weakness, loss of sensation in the limbs and problems swallowing or breathing.

Stevens said he was eventually transferred to rehabilitation for intensive physical therapy, The New York Times reported. The singer added that most people with the condition learn to walk again within a year.

“My doctors did all the things to keep me alive and stabilize my condition,” Stevens wrote on his website. “I owe them my life.”

The “Mystery of Love” singer added, “I want to be well.”

Stevens said he was “very excited” about his 10th album, “Javelin,” which will be released on Oct. 6, The Guardian reported. Two songs from the new album, “So You Are Tired” and “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” have been released, according to the newspaper.

The “Mystery of Love” singer has kept an optimistic mindset throughout the process.

“Most people who have GBS learn to walk again on their own within a year, so I am hopeful,” Stevens wrote. “I’m only in my second week of rehab but it is going really well and I am working really hard to get back on my feet. I’m committed to getting better, I’m in good spirits, and I’m surrounded by a really great team.”

Stevens was nominated for a Grammy in 2018 for “Mystery of Love” in the category of best song written for visual media. The song was also nominated for an Academy Award at the 2018 Academy Awards for best original song from the movie “Call Me by Your Name.”

Stevens’ song, “Chicago,” appeared in the film “Little Miss Sunshine,” The Washington Post reported. It was also the opening theme song for the 2019 Netflix series “The Politician,” and it was used in an episode of the FX show “The Bear,” according to the newspaper.

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