Sufjan Stevens, indie-rock singer-songwriter, He said in a statement on his website On Wednesday, he said he was recovering from a rare neurological condition called Guillain-Barre syndrome, which has robbed him of his ability to walk, and that he had been hospitalized for several weeks but was expected to recover.
“Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk,” Stevens said on his website. “My hands, arms and legs are numb and tingling and I have no strength, no feeling, no movement.”
The musician said his brother took him to the emergency room, where neurologists diagnosed him with an autoimmune disorder that can cause muscle weakness and paralysis. He was treated with immunoglobulin infusions, which he said were effective, and transferred to rehab for intensive physical therapy, which most people with the condition learn to walk again within a year.
“My doctors did everything to keep me alive and stabilize my condition,” Stevens said. “I owe them my life.”
Stevens will release a new album, “Javelin,” next month. He noted that his health had prevented him from participating in the album’s promotion.
“I’m in the second week of rehab, but it’s going well and I’m working really hard to get back on my feet,” he said. “I’m committed to getting better, I’m in a good mood, I’m surrounded by a great team.”
