Australian musician Gretta Ray has cancelled all remaining shows this year after the artist was hospitalised with a “severe” heart disease.
The Melbourne singer-songwriter recently told fans she had spent five weeks in hospital being treated but chose to keep the details of her condition private.
In an update on Tuesday, Ray revealed she had been diagnosed with infective endocarditis, a rare but serious condition caused by infection of the inner lining of the heart.
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Ray said the disease had caused “a multitude of distressing repercussions” for her.
“It happened very suddenly and frighteningly, and as a result, took a moment to be diagnosed,” she said.
“Nonetheless, I am so, so lucky that I caught it early, and landed in such a great hospital here in London.”
The singer said she was now being cared for in a second hospital that specialised in treating the disease.
The news came with the announcement she would be cancelling all shows planned for the remainder of the year as she focused on recovering.
“The toll this has taken on my heart means that at some stage I will need to undergo surgery,” Ray said.
Ray said she was taking things “one day at a time” and would update her fans along the way.
“For now, I’m processing the trauma and taking things slowly,” she said.
“I can’t tell you how much your kind and thoughtful messages and comments have meant to be in this challenging time.”
Ray released her sophomore album, Positive Spin, last August and made the move from Australia to London in June.
“Goodbye Australia for a while … been working hard at my artist project for 7.5 years and it is time to give it the very best shot that I can, as nerve wracking as that might feel right now,” she said at the time.
“I am ridiculously thankful for and in love with the life and community that I have in Melbourne.
“I think being away from it will only make me love and appreciate it more.
“But I am gonna be a brave big girl now and commit to this next chapter.”
What is infective endocarditis?
The condition, also known as bacterial endocarditis, is usually caused by a bacterial infection or sometimes fungal, according to Health Direct.
Health Direct said bacteria can reach your heart through your mouth after a dental procedure or after regular brushing and flossing, after surgery or other medical procedures, and through your skin, digestive system or urinary tract.
Bacteria in the blood are more likely to infect a heart with existing damage.
Symptoms can develop over a few days or several weeks and include:
- Fever, chills and night sweats
- Muscle aches
- Headaches
- Chest Pain
- Painless red spots on the palms or soles or feet
- Painful lumps on fingertips and toes
- Extreme tiredness and weight loss
The main treatment is through antibiotics, which are typically administered through an intravenous drip into a vein.
Patients with a fungal infection will need treatment with antifungal therapy.
Surgery may also be required to remove infected tissue and rebuild the heart.
