Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross says COVID-19 left him temporarily paralyzed and fighting for his life — describing the battle as the “darkest” days he’s ever experienced.
Cross, 69, who’s known for hits such as “Sailing,” said he spent 10 days battling the virus in the intensive care unit in April.
“It was the worst 10 days of my life. And I couldn’t walk, could barely move,” Cross told CBS “Sunday Morning” in a clip of his first interview since beating the virus.
Cross — who has won five Grammy awards — said he and his girlfriend began to feel sick after a trip to Mexico City and tested positive for the virus.
After three weeks, he appeared to be on the mend, even feeling up enough to go to the supermarket, the outlet reported.
But when he got home, his health took a turn for the worse and his legs gave out.
He was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder known as Guillain-Barre Syndrome, which his doctors believe was brought on by the virus and caused his body to attack his nerves, CBS reported.
Cross said the medical episode nearly killed him and he feared that he would never walk again.
“It was certainly the darkest of times for me, you know? It really was touch-and-go, and tough,” he said.
The paralysis ended up being temporary, but he said he’s still recovering and using a cane to get around.
“So yeah, my walking is affected,” he said. “My speech at times can be affected. Memory is a big deal, too. Just neurologically, I’m kind of a little foggy, you know?”
And he said he still doesn’t know if he’ll ever fully recover from the health scare.
“But most people with Guillain-Barre heal about 90% to 100% over about a year. That’s what my prognosis is,” he said.
Cross said he’s opening up about his battle now saying it’s “important for people to know you can get this disease.”
“I felt it was sort of 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, you know, this could happen to you,'” he said in the interview, which is set to air Sunday on the program.