Drake White reveals he has debilitating brain condition after nearly collapsing onstage

ROANOKE, Va. – Drake White opened for Scotty McCreery last week in Elmwood Park in Roanoke but collapsed about 15 minutes into his performance. 

White suffered an onstage medical emergency and was rushed to the hospital by emergency medical technicians, leaving fans in a state of confusion and worry. 

Luckily for the Alabama native and country singer, he is doing OK. 

While the medical emergency came as a shock, the singer tells People that it came just as he was ready to reveal that he has been dealing with a health condition for months now -- he was diagnosed with an arteriovenous malformation in January. 

The condition happens when abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins in the brain become tangled, disrupting blood flow, according to the Mayo Clinic

“It was basically stealing blood from my brain,” White told People in July, just weeks before his onstage scare happened. “The neurologist told me that I should be thankful it was caught in time, because it could have caused a stroke.”

White told People that, since then, he's been undergoing a series of procedures to cut off blood flow to the affected vessels. His last procedure was reportedly four days before his Roanoke show. 

Though it is still unclear if his onstage fall is directly related to his condition, White decided it was time to share his medical journey with fans. 

“I’m not telling this story for me,” White told People last month. “Someone needs to hear it and God wants me to share it. It will help people believe in miracles, and I will feel that energy. The world needs that kind of energy right now.”