Australian rock legend Jimmy Barnes has shared a shocking health update on social media, revealing that a bacterial infection he battled over the past fortnight has spread to his heart.
The 67-year-old, who was hospitalised with pneumonia two weeks ago, took to Instagram to announce the news, stating that the infection had affected a previously replaced healthy valve due to a congenital defect. Consequently, Barnes is set to undergo open heart surgery on Wednesday morning.
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Expressing his frustration and surprise at the sudden turn of events, Barnes shared, “Just a few weeks ago, I was the fittest I’ve been in decades!”
In the Instagram statement, Barnes also apologised for any inconvenience caused by the unexpected health setback, acknowledging that it would take a few days to determine the feasibility of his upcoming shows. Despite the challenges, he urged fans to be patient.
However, Barnes’s family remains optimistic about the surgery’s success. His son, David Campbell, reassured fans that the legendary rocker is in excellent hands.
“He’s so grateful to the nurses and doctors for picking this up, if he hadn’t got that bacterial pneumonia, he would never had picked this up,” he said on Wednesday morning on Nine.
“He’s in the best hands we feel very very confident he’s going to make a great recovery so please reach out to him on social media.”
Listen to Jimmy Barnes now on the FREE iHeart Radio app.