The wife and bandmate of Bruce Springsteen has been diagnosed with a rare blood cancer.
Patti Scialfa, a songwriter, singer, and guitarist, addressed her diagnosis, per 'Variety,' in her husband's new documentary 'Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.' The doc premiered Sunday at the Toronto Film Festival (TIFF).
Scialfa has been battling multiple myeloma since 2018. Multiple myeloma is cancer that forms in plasma cells in bone marrow. "Healthy plasma cells help fight infections by making proteins called antibodies," the Mayo Clinic defines. "Antibodies find and attack germs."
Since the time of her diagnosis, her onstage appearances are few and far between. The performer shared, "It felt so good to be back on stage. Touring has become a challenge for me. This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go."
"Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that's been a treat," Scialfa said. "That's the new normal for me right now, and I'm OK with that."
The 71-year-old discussed her health with 'Rolling Stone' in August 2020. She emphasized that her children are always careful with her because she's "a bit high-risk because of something I have in my health. My children are very cautious."
She has been a member of the E Street Band since 1984 — seven years before her marriage to the band's leading man Bruce Springsteen. The two have been married since 1991.
'Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band' will be available to stream on Hulu on October 25.
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Scialfa, who did not attend Sunday's premiere, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio, in 2014 as a member of the E Street Band.
Originally published in Enstarz.
