The South Side native said that in his 33 years of life, he had never been treated in hospital and was considered very healthy. But all that changed in November, when he was admitted to the ICU due to COVID-19. He said he wasn’t sure when and sometimes if he would do it alive.
Grammy-nominated singer, producer and artist, Jeremih is used to making news about his songs and talent, not because of his health, and certainly not because he fought for his life against COVID-19.
“It’s very real,” he said. “I had to go through it and I would hate for anyone else to go through it too.”
SEE: Full interview with Jeremih, Chance The Rapper
Jeremih said days before he was hospitalized he realized his body felt dull.
“Thinking back, I knew I was dehydrated and maybe I would have thought I had a cold, so I was taking NyQuil,” he recalled. “It wasn’t like I reacted immediately to something. I knew something wasn’t going right.”
From there, he said all he can remember was one night he woke up in the hospital, not knowing where he was and what had happened.
His diagnosis was complications due to COVID-19 and, as a result, his body suffered from multiple inflammatory syndrome, a condition that causes inflammation of the major organs.
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“My heart was beating irregularly. My liver and kidneys were out. I can talk about this now because, thank God, I got it and I’m still here, but I was on dialysis. I was engaged in things I can only remember talking about. of my grandparents for being so young, ”Jeremih said.
“They kept telling me the numbers weren’t going to get any better,” he added. “I’m like, when my body got so bad? I’ve never had problems in my entire life for 33 years! To have everything closed, I’m like, man.”
Jeremih said there were times when he thought about giving up. I wasn’t sure if I could fight anymore. But he thought of his mother and his two children and knew he had to keep pushing to survive.
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For some people, especially young people, the news that the beloved singer was in the ICU with COVID-19 was a wake-up call, which helped them realize that the virus was real and serious.
“If I had to be the example, I’ll take it, because a lot of people could be taking it for granted, without going out partying and among their friends. It happened to me and I was one of the few who got it,” .
The singer said he had to learn to eat and walk back in therapy.
“I was weak. I went in probably weighing 220 and I went to 175. I’m like, I’m damn close to my skin and bones,” he said. “I wouldn’t want that to happen to anyone because of what I went through.”
Now, he says, he feels much better and, as he continues to recover, he is not alone; Chance, the rapper has been struggling with him every step of the way.
“This is one of my best friends!” Chance said. “Your way of thinking about animators is like they’re co-workers, this is my real friend. He knows my family, I know his family. So yes, they all affected us.”
The two artists reunite with a new collaboration, releasing a joint album called “Merry Christmas Lil Mama: The Gift that Keeps on Giving” and a first holiday concert film called “Chi-Town Christmas” .
“The whole project is very much in Chicago. The concert was filmed entirely in Chicago, trying to get the Chicago film industry up and running. The Chicago Children’s Choir appears in the film. Production a lot in Chicago,” Chance said.
At a time when so many are unsure of what the future holds, Chance and Jeremih hope their new projects will help them regain hope.
“You have to keep fighting. You have to keep going through it. You have to recognize it as a part of your journey that will become your past later. There are green pastures ahead,” Chance said.
“I had time to sit down and evaluate my whole life, my career, and my purpose on this Earth right now,” Jeremih said.
Jeremih said he is grateful to Northwestern Memorial Hospital staff for helping him beat the virus. This year he lost his father and grandfather, which made it a devastating year. But he wants to spend the next part of his life making his father, grandfather and the rest of Chicago proud.
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