Brenda suffered brain damage

JOHANNESBURG – South African pop diva Brenda Fassie, taken into hospital last week with breathing problems, had suffered some brain damage but was not brain-dead, her family said yesterday.

“Brenda Fassie’s vital signs of life to date are stable and it is necessary for us to point out that she is not brain-dead as has been extensively reported,” her family and record company said in a statement read to the press at the hospital. “However, neurological tests have revealed some damage to parts of her brain as a direct result of lack of oxygen, the extent of which cannot be conclusively determined.”Further tests were being conducted, the family said.The wild child of South African music, Fassie has rarely been out of the media spotlight since she shot to fame in the early 1980s with the hit ‘Weekend Special’.Reknowned for her public temper tantrums, lesbian love affairs and long battle with drugs, the tiny woman with a piercing voice boasts an army of loyal and loving fans.- Nampa-Reuters”However, neurological tests have revealed some damage to parts of her brain as a direct result of lack of oxygen, the extent of which cannot be conclusively determined.”Further tests were being conducted, the family said.The wild child of South African music, Fassie has rarely been out of the media spotlight since she shot to fame in the early 1980s with the hit ‘Weekend Special’.Reknowned for her public temper tantrums, lesbian love affairs and long battle with drugs, the tiny woman with a piercing voice boasts an army of loyal and loving fans.- Nampa-Reuters