Canadian singer-songwriter Scott Helman revealed Thursday that his mother underwent surgery this week to remove her colon.
The 22-year-old said his mom Joanne, an artist, has had a long battle with Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease.
“I’ve never really thought of my mom as sick, even through the years [of] the monthly medication, pain, doctors visits and diet changes,” Helman shared on Twitter. “She never once said she had it bad.”
The singer said before the four-hour surgery on Wednesday, his mother “gave me a hug and I held on tight.”
Luckily, the operation went well.
“She told me that before the surgery the doctors asked if she wanted to listen to any music to calm her down. She made them find my album [Hotel de Ville], and she listened to ‘PDA,’” recalled Helman. “She said ‘I Like you music because it makes me happy.’ I’ll never forget that.”
In June, Helman will be opening for Vance Joy in six Canadian cities.
On Twitter, Helman apologized to fans for not being “super active” lately. “Going through some stuff,” he explained. “Thanks for being there for me."