Pop Superstar Justin Bieber tells 241 million followers on Instagram to pray for him after revealing that he has partial facial paralysis.
In a three-minute video, the 28-year-old singer opened up about his health struggle caused by Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a dysfunction affecting the facial nerves near one ear, The Hill reported. He showed his fans how the left side of his face is completely paralyzed with his eye, nostril, and lips unable to move.
"My body is telling me that I gotta slow down," Bieber said as he called the attention of the fans who got frustrated because three shows from his Justice World Tour, which started in February, need to be canceled. He further said that his current health circumstance is "pretty serious" and that obviously, he is not physically capable to travel and do the concerts. BBC News shared that he was supposed to perform earlier this week in Washington DC and Toronto and then in New York and Los Angeles in the next weeks.
He then assured his fans that he will be back, but asked for their patience as he is not able to tell them for how long and when he will heal. His doctor has advised him to rest and relax, and that is what he will be doing, along with facial exercises to bring his face back to normal, determined to get back a hundred percent so that he can continue doing what he was "born to do".
'I Trust God', Bieber Says Confidently
Before ending his video, Bieber declared that it is going to be okay.
Comforting his millions of followers, the devout Christian confidently said that he has hope and he trusts God.
"I trust that this is all for a reason. I'm not sure what that is right now but in the meantime, I'm going to rest," as quoted from Christian Today. The singer then ended his message with an "I love you" and a half-smile for all his fans.
Also Read: Justin Bieber Tells Fans To Let Past Be A 'Reminder' Of God's Goodness Today
Ramsay Hunt Syndrome Effects Can Be Permanent
According to Derick Wade, a consultant in neurological rehabilitation and visiting professor at Oxford Brookes University, recovery time for facial paralysis varies significantly.
"If a nerve is damaged in this way, it can recover in some people very quickly, in a few days or a few weeks, and in other people can take several months. So it's a very unpredictable affair," he said in a report from AP News.
The Mayo Clinic in the U.S also stated that the effects of Ramsay Hunt syndrome, for most people, are temporary. Yet, there is also a possibility that it can be permanent. Aside from deafness and facial weakness, eye pain and blurred vision can also happen due to the difficulty of closing the eyelids, which can lead to damage to the cornea that protects the eye.
The clinic further explained that anyone who has had chickenpox can have this syndrome, though it is usually more common in adults 60 years old and up. Once someone recovers from chickenpox, the virus actually still stays in the body and can sometimes reactivate in later years "to cause shingles, a painful rash with fluid-filled blisters."
Three months ago, fans of Bieber were also shocked to find out that his wife, model Hailey Bieber had a "mini-stroke" caused by a blood clot in her brain, which resulted in a surgery to close a hole in her heart.
Related Article: Justin Bieber Opens Up Regarding Hailey's Blood Clotting: 'God Has Her In The Palm Of His Hands'
