Sister Sledge star: I stopped meds and put life in God’s hands amid health scare

For Sister Sledge, the 1970s and ’80s were a whirlwind of fame and success as the group shot to stardom with hits like ‘We Are Family’ and ‘Lost in Music’.

But for original member and star Kim Sledge, 61, one of her most challenging moments came several decades later when she suffered a terrifying health scare that left her fighting for her life in an intensive care unit.

Now, speaking in an exclusive chat with Starts at 60, the mother-of-three – who hit the charts alongside her sisters Joni, Kathy and Debbie in the ’70s – has revealed how she made the shock decision to put her life in God’s hands by stopping her medication against doctors’ orders.

Kim became very ill with the H1N1 virus, a serious form of the flu, in October 2010. While she was being treated for it however she then contracted pneumonia – meaning she had to be admitted into an intensive care unit.

Her health scare wasn’t over there as Kim then contracted a rare fungal infection called coccidioidomycosis, known more widely as Valley Fever. She previously admitted she thinks it stemmed from her visiting her sister in Arizona, before potentially inhaling a harmful spore from the desert there.

She revealed in an interview with the Shropshire Star at the time that her health scare “affirmed her faith” more than ever.

Asked about that previous statement, she told Starts at 60: “I became so encouraged during that time, because what was a real health scare became an opportunity for a miracle. It gave me a real opportunity to be still and I could listen to His [God’s] voice and know I was loved and know that I was being healed and know that He is real.”

She added: “I trusted Him with all my heart. He was so present and now I know that there is a God. He got me through that.”

Kim has always had strong faith throughout her life, eventually deciding to become an ordained minister after the group’s fame began to die down. And asked if it’s her strong and dedicated faith that got her through the horrific time in hospital, Kim said: “I know for a fact it was. It was a miracle.”

The singer’s belief was so strong at the time that she chose to stop taking her drugs several months early – against doctors’ orders – to instead rely on the power of prayer to heal her.

“They were expecting me to take these very severe medications, and I just knew it wasn’t going to heal me,” she explained. “I was told to take the medication for a year. I took it for a couple of months and just said, ‘I can’t continue to take this because the Lord is healing me’. I didn’t want to put that stuff in my body.”

She added: “So I just listened to scriptures. The doctor was in shock at how quickly I recovered.”

“He [the doctor] laughed at first, until I went to the third appointment,” she explained. “He was in such shock at how all of a sudden I’d gained weight, my skin was clear, I was radiant. It was a true testimony. So yes, God is real!”

Kim is now continuing to perform on stage following the tragic death of her sister Joni last year, as well as the departure of her other sister Kathy from the group. She will travel to Australia in January 2019 alongside Debbie to join The Jacksons, Kool & the Gang, The Pointer Sisters, Village People and more for the Summer Series Disco and Motown tour.

Joni passed away in March last year from natural causes, and asked how it feels performing just with Debbie now, Kim said: “It’s actually bitter sweet but it’s still very exciting because we have the privilege of having our family with us… Joni’s son is performing with us as well which is great.”

To buy tickets to the Motown tour, visit the official MJR website here.

Are you a fan of Sister Sledge? Do you know someone who has chosen natural therapies and religion over medication during an illness?