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   Vandross Coma Breakthrough

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Topic: Vandross Coma Breakthrough (Read 254 times)

Rhune
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Vandross Coma Breakthrough
« on: Jun 6^th, 2003, 3:31pm »

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Vandross Coma Breakthrough

by Joal Ryan
Jun 5, 2003, 3:20 PM PT

Luther Vandross can't sing. And he can't speak. But first things first: The R&B crooner is showing signs of emerging from a stroke-induced coma.

"He's tracking. There are moments when he's alert, when he can actually shake his head 'yes' or 'no,' " Carmen Romano, the entertainer's business manager, said Thursday.

a d v e r t i s e m e n t

Romano called the activity "the first signs of awareness" since Vandross was found unconscious in his Manhattan apartment April 16.

Vandross, 52, remains in the intensive care unit of New York's Weill Cornell Medical Center, listed in critical but stable condition.

The hospital would not comment Thursday on Vandross' condition beyond the "critical but stable" designation. Previously, the singer had been referred to as a "minimally responsive" patient.

That began to change one week ago Thursday, May 29, Romano said.

As a larger-than-usual contingent of well-wishers, including bandmembers, looked on, Vandross opened his eyes. And, though he'd been doing that for weeks, there was something different.

"That night his awareness level jumped," Max Szadek, a Vandross assistant, tells People magazine. "He started turning his head more, responding with nods."

Romano, who was not present for Vandross' breakthrough, called the development "big." "I flew to New York when I heard this because this was major," the New Jersey-based manager said.

Still, there is a long road ahead for the singer. Vandross does not know what happened to him. Nor does he know his new album, Dance with My Father, with the title track dedicated to the parent he lost at age seven, is due out Tuesday.

He still requires a respirator. And he's not really, totally awake yet. Moments when Vandross is conscious "are fleeting moments," Romano said.

There is no timetable for his release from the ICU. "There is just no way for anybody to predict," Romano said.

During his hospitalization, Vandross has battled meningitis and pneumonia, the latter of which prompted doctors to perform a tracheotomy. The three-time Grammy winner's vocal cords were said to be unharmed by the procedure. (He won't be able to speak, however, until he's off the respirator.)

Through it all, his mother, Mary Vandross, has kept a hospital vigil for her lone surviving child, playing his own music for him at his bedside.

"Luther is going to be just fine," Mary Vandross told the Associated Press this week. "This is God's way of saying, 'You're tired.' "

Vandross' hits include "Here and Now" and "Always and Forever."

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Rhune
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Re: Vandross Coma Breakthrough
« Reply #1 on: Jun 6^th, 2003, 3:32pm »

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I know we'd talked about this in the American Idol forum and I'd mentioned I thought he was in a coma, but then someone else posted an article saying he was fine, but I couldn't find the thread again quickly, so I decided to post this here.

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Rhune
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Re: Vandross Coma Breakthrough
« Reply #2 on: Jun 12^th, 2003, 10:39am »

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Luther Vandross wakes up from coma

June 12, 2003

Singer Luther Vandross has recently showed signs of improvement.

According to his label J records, Vandross recently came out of the coma he's been in since suffering a stroke in April 16 in his New York home.
People Magazine quoted family and friends saying Vandross can mouth words and nod his head. He's not able to speak yet because of a tracheotomy tube in his throat. They also said he has begun mild physical therapy.

According to the Associated Press, the singer's mother, Mary Vandross said this week, "Luther is going to be just fine. This is God's way of saying, 'You're tired.'"

Vandross, 52, had been listed in critical but stable condition at Weill Cornell Medical College of New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Two weeks later, Lois Najarian, a spokeswoman for Vandross' label J Records, said the singer was "minimally responsive" since he had not opened his eyes or spoken since suffering the stroke.

No other details were available about Vandross' current condition. Najarian said in April that the emergency tracheotomy that was performed on Vandross to help him breathe, did not damage his vocal chords.

One family member quoted by People says Vandross is on his way to recovery. But another warned that until they know how much brain damage he suffered, they need to be "cautiously optimistic."

The Grammy Award-winning soul singer is known for such ballads as "Here and Now" and "A House is Not a Home."

His new album, "Dance With My Father" - a tribute to his late father - will be released Tuesday.

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Rhune
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Re: Vandross Coma Breakthrough
« Reply #3 on: Jun 13^th, 2003, 8:48am »

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NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Soulful singer and songwriter Luther Vandross was moved out of intensive care Thursday for the first time since suffering a serious stroke on April 16, his business manager said in a statement Thursday.

Vandross, a double Grammy winner, has been cared for at Weill Cornell Medical Center of New York-Presbyterian Hospital since he was stricken just days before turning 52.

"I am happy to report that Luther Vandross continues to improve and that he is more and more responsive each day," said Carmen Romano, his business manager and longtime friend.

"I feel as though I am watching a modern day miracle."

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darnchts
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Re: Vandross Coma Breakthrough
« Reply #4 on: Jun 13^th, 2003, 9:16am »

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Thanks Rhune for this article. I had heard something about him being in a coma but I'm not into watching the news most days so I didn't know what was going on..this saved me time to find out. When I wasn't such a country fan, I used to love his music..I still think he is awesome...and strokes are no fun. I sure hope he comes out of this okay.

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