Drake White Is 'Overwhelmed' by Fan Support After Revealing Brain Disorder

Drake White is expressing his gratitude for the support of his fans, after revealing he had been [...]

By Gayle Thompson

Drake White is expressing his gratitude for the support of his fans, after revealing he had been diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a brain disorder caused by an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins in the brain that disrupts normal blood flow. White, who nearly collapsed on stage in Roanoke, Virginia last week, was diagnosed with AVM earlier this year, but has now been open about this health crisis.

"Alex and I are still overwhelmed by your vibes and prayers, and, for now, I'm gonna keep resting so I can come back stronger than ever," White posted on social media. "Much love."

White went with his wife, Alex, to the emergency room in January, after he had a debilitating headache he couldn't shake, along with numbness on his left side.

"The true nightmare is having something wrong with you and not knowing what it is," White told PEOPLE. "Nobody could tell me what was wrong."

Finally, after both an MRI and angiogram, doctors found out what was wrong.

"The next thing I know, there is a guy walking in with the word 'neurologist' on his nameplate," White recalled. "He told me, 'You have a mass in the back of your head. It's treatable, but it's going to take a while.' It was at that moment Alex and I said to each other that whatever it is, we would battle through it. Our faith went into overdrive."

The singer has been undergoing a series of embolization procedures to cut off blood flow to the affected vessels. Although it is not entirely clear if the AVM or embolization procedures caused him to stumble, he did have his last one only days before his Roanoke show. But now, with his health concerns made public, White has canceled several shows to focus on his health.

"I'm not telling this story for me," White explained. "Someone needs to hear it and God wants me to share it. It will help people believe in miracles, and I will feel that energy. The world needs that kind of energy right now."

White's next scheduled show is in Massachusetts on Sept. 13. Find updates on White's concert schedule by visiting his website.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Tim Mosenfelder

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