America’s Got Talent 2010 winner Michael Grimm’s health is improving after mystery illness resulted in hospitalization and sedation
An update on Michael Grimm who has been in the hospital since Memorial Day due to a serious, mysterious health issue.
The America’s Got Talent season 5 winner is showing signs of improvement his wife Lucie Zolcerova-Grimm tells TMZ.
Recently, Michael had a breakthrough in his recovery, Lucie said. Now he’s able to speak and walk under his own power. This after being rushed to an intensive care unit in May and being placed on a ventilator.
Michael’s wife says he’s still in the hospital and doctors have so far been unable to diagnose a specific disease or syndrome behind his hospitalization.
She told TMZ that while on the ventilator, Michael’s brain stopped communicating with the rest of his body. Now, he needs to relearn movement and speech, which is why walking is such a milestone for his recovery.
However, while Michael can walk and speak on his own, Lucie told TMZ that he still can’t sing or play guitar, but he’s working in rehab to relearn those skills. Other side issued include suffering from PTSD from being on the ventilator and some past personal trauma that has resurfaced during rehab.
On Sunday July 9, friends held a benefit concert at the Veil Pavilion at the Silverton Casino in Las Vegas. “The Benefit of Love” raised money to help defray Michael’s medical bills which have crossed the $200,000 mark. Additionally, other Las Vegas performers are rallying to help cover costs.
Michael struggled with his health in the months before his hospitalization
In May, the 44-year-old singer was “struggling with his health” a lot in the previous months and was lacking energy. After cancelling some shows due to his poor health his wife took him to the emergency room. But the doctors could not figure out what was wrong.
“On Memorial Day, it kind of took him over,” Lucie said. “He was looking increasingly sickly.” Michael wasn’t able to respond to her right away, walk well or lift his head, so she “rushed him” to the ER. “He started talking gibberish,” she recalled, adding that physical tremors were setting in.
“For the safety of his health, they had to put him on a ventilator and sedate him pretty heavily, so that he wouldn’t stroke out, so he wouldn’t flatline.” The doctors ruled out a stroke.
Most recently, Michael competed on AGT: The Champions season 2 in 2020.
