My children will save me”: Madonna opens up about major health scare in June, reveals lungs and kidney failure

In June 2023, Madonna was admitted to the ICU due to kidney and lung failure. She was warned by her doctors that she might die as her health deteriorated. Speaking up on the incident, Madonna, on stage at the Accor Arena, in Paris went on to talk about her experience at the ICU. She said;

"I was in the hospital. I was in the ICU. My lungs weren't working, I wasn't breathing on my own. My kidneys were failing. I was infected with some bacteria that nobody knows about. And there is a 40% mortality rate.

She also went on to talk about her children:

"When I woke up I saw all my children around me and I thought this is what will save me. My children will save me. It's not me who saved them."

The Queen of Pop was performing for the Celebration World tour which which was earlier delayed due to her ICU stint in June and started in London last month. She has been traveling throughout Europe since then.

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A look into Madonna's health history

Earlier Madonna had fallen ill after falling off the stage during a performance at the 2015 Brits Awards which led to the cancellation of her 13th music album, Rebel Heart concert. She now uses a cane for support and also had to cancel 15 shows on her Madame X Tour.

During her show in Paris, she also went on to reveal how her long-term manager, Guy Oseary had shown support and had sobbed next to her when she struggled to get out of bed in June. She said;

"My manager came to me and he was weeping next to me. I came home from the hospital two weeks later, and nobody knew when I would get better. He was like, 'do you want to go back on the road? Do you want your tour to happen?'

She said that back then, she needed two weeks to think about her tour since she was breathing oxygen through a cannula. She went on to talk more about the horrifying experience and how, even though she considers herself "Wonder Woman," she wanted to bring draw a will this time around.

Madonna also expressed gratitude to her children. Her 6 children motivated her throughout the tour and traveled with her on the road. Her biggest support system so far has been her 18-year-old adoptive son, David Banda who has been touring with her and has even accompanied her on stage by playing the guitar for songs like Let's go crazy and Mother and Father.