Christopher Cross reveals COVID left him temporarily paralyzed
Christopher Cross reveals his coronavirus struggle in an interview airing on this weekend on "CBS Sunday Morning." Credit: Max Crace
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christopher Cross was diagnosed with what he says was a near-fatal case of the coronavirus.
The 69-year-old hitmaker of "Sailing" and other songs says in an interview running this weekend on "CBS Sunday Morning" that the diagnosis came during a trip to Mexico City, and left him paralyzed and in intensive care.
"There was some come-to-Jesus moments or whatever where I was looking for any help I could get through this, to get out of this thing. Because I wasn’t sure," Cross says. He and his girlfriend both tested positive and were sick for roughly three weeks. But back home in April, his legs gave out and he was diagnosed with the nervous-system disorder Guillain-Barré syndrome, which his doctors believe was caused by COVID-19.
The paralysis was temporary, but he still struggles to recover. Unable to walk at first, he used a wheelchair, and now he uses a cane to get around.
"It was the worst 10 days of my life," Cross says of the second disease. "And I couldn’t walk, could barely move. And so, it was certainly the darkest of times for me. You know? It really was touch and go, and tough."
He urged the public to follow doctors’ advice and wear face coverings during the pandemic.
