Sum 41’s Deryck Whibley in hospital with pneumonia nine years after he ‘almost died’ of alcoholism
Singer told The Independent last year that he was ‘very touch and go’ when he was admitted to hospital in 2014
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Your support makes all the difference.Sum 41 singer Deryck Whibley has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia, his wife has told fans.
In a post shared on Instagram on Friday (15 September), Ariana Cooper Whibley – who has been married to the “In Too Deep” rocker for eight years – updated fans on Whibley’s health.
Posting two photos, one showing the 43-year-old being stretchered into an ambulance and the other of his hand wearing a medical bracelet, Cooper Whibley explained that the incident had occurred on their wedding anniversary.
“Deryck and I were suppose to be in Chicago right now, celebrating our eight year wedding anniversary but the universe had a different plan for us,” the model wrote.
“We spent the entire night in the ER and will now be spending the next few days here in the hospital as he fights through pneumonia. The scariest part is that there is a lot of strain on his heart and they are telling us that there is a possibility of heart failure.”
She continued: “This is obviously not our first time in a situation like this but it brings back a lot of really difficult memories seeing him back in a hospital bed connected to wires and IVs.
“I know how strong he is because I have witnessed what he has been able to overcome but that doesn’t make it any easier to see. I’ll do my best to keep everyone updated but if you could keep him in your heart over the next few days, we could really use it.”
Whibley, who is a founding member of Sum 41, has suffered a number of health issues over the last decade.
In 2013, Cooper Whibley rushed the Canadian musician to hospital after he collapsed in his kitchen. There, he learnt that his liver and kidney had failed due to alcohol abuse. He was placed in a coma for a week and has been sober since.
In an interview with The Independent in November, Whibley said that he had been “very touch and go” in hospital and had “almost died”. He and Cooper Whibley have two children.
“I had nerve damage in my feet, which felt like I was walking on hot coals or broken glass, or both. It was like that for a year and a half,” he recalled.
“I was so out of it that I couldn’t form sentences and my motor skills were off. Drinking wasn’t even a thought because it was like, ‘How are we going to get back to normal?’”
Whibley, who was previously married to fellow Canadian rocker Avril Lavigne, has performed with Sum 41 since 1996. In May this year, Sum 41 announced that they would be disbanding after their forthcoming farewell tour.
They are currently scheduled to play US tour dates in October, with their final live show taking place in Paris in November.
If you or someone you know is suffering from alcohol addiction, you can confidentially call the national alcohol helpline Drinkline on 0300 123 1110 or visit the NHS website here for information about the programmes available to you.