Update on Jan Johansson

We have reported in the past about Jan Johansson’s health problems and a benefit concert to provide him and his family with some financial assistance.

Swedish-born Johansson, a multi-instrumentalist and fiddle teacher based in Cary, North Carolina, was diagnosed in 2008 as needing a heart transplant. On December 29, Johansson was admitted to UNC Hospital and placed at the top of the list for a heart transplant. However, a match has not yet been found and last week the doctors decided to implant a heart pump as an interim measure. This will provide Johansson some stability for his condition, but he still needs a heart transplant. He will remain on the heart transplant list, although as a lower priority.

Johansson will be in the hospital for about two more weeks. News 14 Carolina recently broadcast a report about Johansson’s hospitalisation.

You can see and hear Jan’s fine fiddle playing in this video, performing with Bobby Hicks, Carolina Junction, Lindsey Tims and Julie Elkins.

Anyone who would like to make a donation towards his substantial medical costs can do so at the National Foundation for Transplants web site.

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About the Author

Richard Thompson

Richard F. Thompson is a long-standing free-lance writer specialising in bluegrass music topics. A two-time Editor of British Bluegrass News, he has been seriously interested in bluegrass music since about 1970. As well as contributing to that magazine, he has, in the past 30 plus years, had articles published by Country Music World, International Country Music News, Country Music People, Bluegrass Unlimited, MoonShiner (the Japanese bluegrass music journal) and Bluegrass Europe. He wrote the annotated series I'm On My Way Back To Old Kentucky, a daily memorial to Bill Monroe that culminated with an acknowledgement of what would have been his 100th birthday, on September 13, 2011.