NYC rock icon David Johansen has revealed he’s been living with stage 4 cancer and a brain tumor, which were diagnosed in 2020. At the time he made the decision to deal with this privately, but with mounting medical costs following a fall that required surgery, the New York Dolls frontman has opened up about the diagnosis, and Sweet Relief has launched the David Johansen Fund.
“We’ve been living with my illness for a long time, still having fun, seeing friends and family, carrying on, but this tumble the day after Thanksgiving really brought us to a whole new level of debilitation,” Johansen said in a statement. “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.”
The Sweet Relief fund also has exclusive Johansen t-shirts with all proceeds going towards his treatment.
Here’s more about David’s condition from the Sweet Relief site by his daughter, Leah Hennessey:
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.
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 specialized professional help.
Donate to the David Johansen Fund here.