Over the last two decades, Ozzy Osbourne has faced several health issues. On top of a youth spent living to the full in rock ‘n’ roll hedonism, the Black Sabbath singer has suffered several injuries and accidents throughout the years, including a near-fatal quad bike accident in 2003 that left him with multiple injuries, including a broken collarbone, six broken ribs, and a crushed vertebra.
In more recent years, Osbourne has experienced several health scares related to infections. Most notably, in 2019, he was hospitalised with complications from the flu, which led to the postponement of his tour dates. Around the same time, he also underwent surgery for infections in his hand.
Remarkably, Osbourne overcame these ailments but revealed in 2020 that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a progressive neurological disorder that impedes movement and can lead to tremors, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination. The condition could be partly linked to the nerve damage sustained in his 2003 quad bike accident, which necessitated several spinal operations.
Since his Parkinson’s diagnosis, Osbourne has undergone state-of-the-art stem cell therapy. In a new episode of his SiriusXM show ‘Ozzy Speaks’, the rock icon told co-host Billy Morrison that the treatment is intense but hasn’t dampened his enthusiasm to get back on stage.
When quizzed on his health, Osbourne revealed that he had just returned “from the doctor after having some stem cells put in” him. “The thing is, you have it, and you go, ‘I don’t feel that great,’” he added, “but I don’t know what it would be like if I didn’t have it.”
Supposedly, the cells are slowing the onset of Parkinson’s, but the treatment doesn’t exactly limber one up like a spring chicken. “This stuff that I have, it’s kind of like a super fucking stem cell,” the Prince of Darkness continued. “They put three bottles in me this morning. I had one about three months ago and this was a follow-up, and I’ve got to go in about six months from now.”
In 2020, Cells4Life revealed that Osbourne had begun his stem cell treatment for Parkin 2, a rare genetic form of the disease. According to a statement from his daughter, Kelly, shortly after, his symptoms were noticeably diminished. “Seeing, after one treatment of stem cell, what has happened and the progress that he’s made is mind-blowing,” she revealed. “He wants to get up. He wants to do things. He wants to be a part of the world again. He’s walking better. He’s talking better. His symptoms are lessening. He is building the muscle strength back that he needs.”
While the Black Sabbath singer admits his touring days are behind him, he is determined to return to the stage. Elsewhere in the recent podcast episode, he said he’d “like to do a fucking gig without falling over.” Morrison replied: “That’s gonna come. You’ll get there.”
