Donny Osmond details incredible recovery journey to walk and dance again after facing potential paralysis
The star credited his faith and his wife for literally getting him back on his feet
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Donny Osmond detailed his incredible recovery after nearly becoming paralyzed in 2019.
The singer realized he was suffering serious physical problems around the time his 11-year Las Vegas residency alongside his sister, Marie Osmond, came to an end. Speaking to The Mirror in a tell-all interview, the 63-year-old performer noted that things got really bad during their final performance.
"I couldn’t feel my arms, then suddenly my legs too," he explained. "I didn’t tell anyone what was happening to me......I just kept dancing and finished the show."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fortunately, the show ending meant that Donny had some time to focus on his health. He ultimately learned that his spine had shifted due to a series of previous dancing injuries, namely one sustained when he was on the U.S. version of "Strictly Come Dancing," in 2009.
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Donny Osmond detailed facing potential paralysis following back injury and surgery. (Eric McCandless/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images)
The star was public about undergoing back and neck surgery in 2019, but he remained private about the challenging recovery that ensued — until now.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He told the outlet that he retreated to his home in Utah to recover. Just when he thought things were looking up, he got a secondary infection that left him basically unable to move. He was forced to undergo months of rehabilitation just to get on his feet by himself again. He could only walk for a time with the use of a walking frame. The star admitted that not only did he think his days of dancing and performing were done, he feared he was permanently paralyzed.
"Oh sure, absolutely. It absolutely crossed my mind. But I just didn’t take no for an answer," he explained.
What followed was more than a year of hard work and focus on his rehab. Today, not only is he able to walk, but he’s dancing again in a new, solo Las Vegas residency.
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The star credited his Mormon "faith, a lot of hard work and positive thinking" with his near-miraculous recovery. He also made sure to note that his wife of 43 years, Debbie, was an invaluable source of support.
"She knows exactly the sort of determination that I have and she knew I would be fine," he said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He feels grateful to those who helped him literally get back on his feet. While he’s excited to be back on stage performing, he previously noted to Fox News in July that he misses his sister on stage.
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He and Marie shared a residency in Sin City that was originally intended to run for six weeks but lasted 11 years due to its popularity. Roughly 900,000 fans had seen it by the time it ended in 2019.
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"When we are on stage together, we can come up with improv lines that just crack each other up," said Osmond at the time. "[But] the Donny and Marie show is over. We might get together and do some one-offs, but that was a very special moment in our lives, and now I am on to the next stage."