Drake White is taking an extended break from touring, while he continues to battle the brain disorder, arteriovenous malformation (AVM), caused by an abnormal tangle of arteries and veins in the brain that disrupts normal blood flow.
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“We wanted to let you know, Drake is taking time to rest and recover due to residual effects of the AVM,” White’s team posted on Instagram on his behalf. “He is in the best hands possible and is going to take a break from touring for a while, in order to make a full recovery and get back to 100%. Please continue to keep the prayers and good vibes coming for our warrior. Team Drake White”
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White first announced his struggle with AVM after nearly collapsing on stage during a show in Roanoke, Virgnia.
“It was basically stealing blood from my brain,” White told PEOPLE. “The neurologist told me that I should be thankful it was caught in time, because it could have caused a stroke.”
White was diagnosed with AVM at the beginning of 2019, after suffering a debilitating headache.
“That morning, I had worked out and went to a lunch meeting, and that’s when the headache started,” White recalled. “By 2 p.m. I was in bed seeing spots in my left eye, and that’s when my left side started going numb. I tried to sleep it off but woke up with the same intense headache.”
When the headache didn’t go away, White and his wife, Alex, went to the emergency room at a Nashville hospital, where his condition initially even baffled the medical staff.
“The true nightmare is having something wrong with you and not knowing what it is,” White said. “Nobody could tell me what was wrong.”
White had both an MRI and an angiogram, which ultimately showed the AVM.
“The next thing I know, there is a guy walking in with the word ‘neurologist’ on his nameplate,” White recounted. “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.”
White’s currently scheduled to resume touring on Oct. 1 with two shows in Australia. Updates will be posted on his website as available.
Photo Credit: Getty Images / Rob Ball
