Shania Twain Recalls Being Airlifted to Hospital During ‘Nightmare’ Health Emergency

Shania Twain spent the height of the COVID pandemic living in idyllic Switzerland, but it was not easy for the country music icon. In a new interview, Twain, 57, said she was struck by a “nightmare” health emergency. She had a serious bout of COVID pneumonia, sending her husband Frédéric Thiébaud on a desperate search for a hospital bed.

“It was progressively getting worse. My vital signs were getting worse… and in the end, I had to be air evacuated,” Twain told The Mirror. The “You’re Still the One” singer described her helicopter flight as a scene out of science fiction. “I felt like I was going to another planet or something,” she said, adding that it all happened in slow motion.

Thiébaud helped organize Twain’s air evacuation, which was difficult because he needed to find a hospital for her. At the time, hospital beds were in short supply. “My husband was freaking out, to be honest,” Twain said. “He was really panicking because he was the one having to pull it all together.”

Her husband “spent hours and hours” on the phone to get the air evacuation coordinated. Thiébaud also kept his eyes on Twain’s vital signs while they tried to find a hospital. “It was just a real nightmare for him,” Twain told The Mirror.

Once she finally got checked into a hospital, Twain was treated in an isolation unit with plasma therapy. She was in serious danger for several days. “It took several days to start building up any antibodies at all, so it was a very dangerous time and very scary,” Twain said. “I made it through and I’m just so grateful.” Twain is thankful to have her husband by her side but said she was worried for those who do not have support.

The situation inspired “Inhale/Exhale Air,” a song on Twain’s new album, Queen of Me. “It’s a song of gratitude and appreciation,” Twain told The Mirror. “I was inspired that I still had air in my lungs.”

Twain has faced health scares in the past. In 2004, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease after a tick bite. The illness damaged nerves in her vocal cords, and she needed physical therapy. In 2018, she had open-throat surgery to strengthen weakened nerves.

Twain’s new album will be released on Friday and includes the singles “Giddy Up!” and “Waking Up Dreaming.” She is scheduled to perform at the Tortuga Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 15 before starting her Queen of Me tour on April 28 in Spokane, Washington. The tour ends on Nov. 14 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.