Legendary extreme metal drummer Nick Barker, known for his performances with Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, has shared an update on his health, revealing he’s suffering from stage five chronic kidney failure.
Former Cradle of Filth drummer Nick Barker has revealed that he is currently battling stage five chronic kidney failure. Barker would announce his appearance on the Pod Scum podcast, sharing that he has been on hemodialysis since January 2023, and is undergoing treatment three times a week for four hours.
“It’s consumed my life”, said the 52-year-old while sharing how the diagnosis has affected his life.
“I’m dealing with stage five chronic kidney failure right now, which is full renal failure. I’ve been on dialysis, hemodialysis since January ’23. I’ve been approved by the transplant list here in Vancouver. I did all the pre-assessments, passed all the assessment tests. They said, ‘Yep, you’re totally fine. You’ve just gotta drop some of those lbs. So I’ve got about 20, 30 pounds to lose before they can operate on me.”
Barker revealed his diagnosis back in 2023. A GoFundMe page was set up for Barker to help the drummer afford treatments, and it has since raised £65,258 ($133,544 AUD).
“As many noticed, back in 2022, Nick was hospitalised several times… a couple of these times while on tour,” Brandi Campanile, who launched the campaign, would write.
“During these visits, it was discovered that he was losing kidney function. With determination, he tried to continue caring for himself while maintaining the tours and his musical career. His life has been dedicated to it along with his daughters. Both of which are his lifeblood. Unfortunately, it has all taken its toll and the kidneys are in full failure.”
Despite his diagnosis, Barker shared that he is still drumming, albeit just not on tour.
You can check out his full interview below.
RELATED
MORE IN News
