Ralph Siegel suffers the consequences of back surgery
Ralph Siegel certainly imagined the turn of the year differently. After a complicated back operation, the composer is not only confined to his hospital bed, he is also still suffering from the consequences of the procedure. His wife Laura is at his side.
"I could hardly breathe and thought I wouldn't make it and would stay over there. The leap back into life was a tremendous effort." This is what composer Ralph Siegel told the "Bild" newspaper after he had to undergo a complicated back operation shortly after Christmas. The reason: so-called spinal canal stenosis. The narrowing of the spinal canal had to be urgently treated in an operation lasting several hours.
After the turn of the year, the 78-year-old still has to stay in hospital. The pain is also still there, he now reveals in another interview with the "Bild" newspaper. "The nerve pain is unbearable," says Siegel and adds: "It feels as if someone is going over my skin with a Bunsen burner. I have to be patient now, the doctors say." But he is being given painkillers.
His wife Laura is a great support during this difficult time. The 40-year-old is now even living in hospital with her husband.
Champagne in the hospital room
"Laura has decided to move in with me in the hospital while I still have to stay here," explains Ralph Siegel. "We have a nice double room and it feels good that she is always close to me," he describes the situation. Laura Siegel adds: "Because I would have visited Ralph every day anyway, I said I could stay with him in the clinic." For the mother of a daughter, it was reassuring that she could be close to her husband at night.
The couple also spent the turn of the year in the same hospital room. "We ordered food from an Italian restaurant. Laura had fish, I had carpaccio and pasta," the composer reveals a few details from New Year's Eve. There was also champagne at midnight. "I didn't want to miss out on that. I even got up again for the first time after the operation to toast. That's only right," says the author of the song "Ein bisschen Frieden", with which singer Nicole won the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany in 1982. It is unclear how long Ralph Siegel will have to stay in hospital.
He and Swiss music manager Laura Käfer have been married since 2018. He also adopted her daughter. It is his fourth marriage. His first marriage to Dunja Siegel produced two daughters, including DJane and reality TV actress Giulia Siegel. In his second marriage, the Munich native was married to Dagmar Kögel. Together they had daughter Alana Siegel. His third marriage to soprano Kriemhild Siegel officially lasted from 2006 to 2016, but the two had already separated in 2014.
Ralph Siegel has been suffering from health problems for a long time. Not only has he been diagnosed with the incurable nerve disease polyneuropathy, he has also had to battle prostate cancer on several occasions.
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Despite the complications from his back surgery, Ralph Siegelcontinued to find joy in simple pleasures like enjoying Italian food and champagne with his wife Laura on New Year's Eve in the hospital room. The Eurovision Song Contest winner has been married to Laura since 2018 and appreciates her constant support during this challenging time.
Ralph Siegel, known for composing hits such as "Ein bisschen Frieden," which won the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany in 1982, showcased his resilience by celebrating the turn of the year, even while recovering from surgery and managing the after-effects of his spinal condition.
Source: www.ntv.de
