Venezuelan Singer José Luis Rodriguez 'El Puma' Receives Double Lung Transplant
Renowned Venezuelan singer José Luis Rodriguez ‘El Puma’ experienced a miracle days before Christmas. After anxiously awaiting a donor match, Rodriquez, 74, was admitted to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami Dec. 18 for a double lung transplant, EFE News Agency reports.
In 2000, the singer of international hits like “Dueño de Nada” and “Pavo Real” was diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis, a condition in which lung tissues scares and it becomes increasingly difficult to breath. According to EFE, he’s been battling the disease for the past year with a stem cell treatment. Fans were concerned about the telenovela star’s deteriorating health when he needed the help of an oxygen tank in 2006 to perform in Barranquilla, Colombia.
In February, his daughter, Hollywood actress Genesis Rodriguez, 30, spoke to People en Español about the her father’s health. “Thank God my father is well, he is strong and with God, with his family,” she said. “He is recharging with good energy, regaining his strength.”
Genesis, who stars in ABC’s series Time After Time and shared credits with her famous dad in the 2012 comedy Casa de mi Padre, added that her father is an inspiration. “My dad is my strength. He is what gives me the strength to get ahead. He is an extremely hardworking person. I admire that quality in him. I always saw him working and he enjoyed working. That’s what I like to do too.”
In April, while promoting his new album Inmenso (Sony Music Latin), the singer told Univision’s morning show Despierta América about the struggle and value of his health crisis: “I have had time to meditate, to know where your friends are and the fans who worry about you, pray for you, think of you. That’s good, it’s formidable knowing that you have people who love you — and of course getting closer to God and to my family — but this lesson has been the toughest one of my life,” he said
