14 DAY TRIAL // Etta James is in serious condition and is receiving treatment at her home in Riverside, California. She’s suffering from severe leukemia and dementia, it has emerged in court documents filed in a family dispute.
PopEater reports that the iconic blues singer is now in serious condition, prompting her husband of 41 years to take action in court to see that over $1 million will be disposed to take care of her in her final days.
While husband Artis Mills wants a judge to allow him access to the funds, her son believes a third party would be more indicated to dispose of them.
Either way, James’ condition is serious enough to get Mills thinking about fulfilling her last wish, that of making sure she’s taken care of at home so that she doesn’t die in a hospital – not as long as she has the money to be taken care of.
“The news came to light in a civil case between the 72-year-old star’s husband and her son, who disagree on who should manage more than $1 million that is being put away for James’ home-health costs,” PopEater says.
“Artis Mills, her husband of 41 years, wants control of the money, but son Donto James is asking the court to assign the duty to a third party, ‘to avoid present and future family conflict and discrepancies’,” says the same e-zine.
“The singer’s doctor declared in court documents that James has dementia, as well as an organic brain syndrome, and is currently receiving treatment for leukemia,” PopEater writes.
According to the same report, the singer can no longer feed, dress herself or sign her name, but she still recognizes her family, husband and children. James hasn’t been on a stage since early 2010.
Mills wrote in court papers that it was Etta’s wish to have him handle the money required for her home treatment.
“If she ever became disabled, she did not wish to be placed in an institutional nursing facility as long as they had the money to keep her at home,” he stated.
A court hearing was set for today, January 14.