Jamie Foxx

Jamie Foxx reflects on health issues in birthday message: ‘I needed every prayer'

Foxx celebrated turning 56 after a year of health struggles

Jamie Foxx wants his fans to know how much he appreciates them.

On his 56th birthday, the actor took to Instagram to give his fans a shout-out and tell them how much he appreciates them for sending him loving messages amid his health issues.

"This birthday is a special one…I wanna start by saying thank you to everyone that prayed for me when I was in a bad way… here lately I’ve been able to thank some of you personally but I want to say to all of you. I NEEDED EVERY PRAYER… you lifted me through… I was able to make it to today because of your prayers," he wrote in a caption, paired with some snaps of him sitting in a Rolls Royce.

"I consider all of you my family… and thank you to my immediate family, and everybody who chipped in to make sure that I could celebrate on this day… I’m sending our complete joy to everybody… Cause if it’s my birthday it’s your birthday," he said, tying the note off with the hashtags "#swipeleft and #sagittarius.

Foxx's post comes after he suffered an undisclosed medical emergency earlier in April that caused him to be hospitalized.

In an Instagram video in July, Foxx told his fans that he had "tubes running out of (him)" and he didn't know if he was going to make it through.

"I went to hell and back and my road to recovery had some potholes as well. But I’m coming back and I’m able to work," he said at the time.

In August, Foxx posted a picture of himself holding a pair of red Crocs online and said he's "finally startin to feel like myself" again.

The "They Cloned Tyrone" actor appeared to be faring well when he accepted the Critics Choice Associations Vanguard Award in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, where he acknowledged his illness in a speech.

“It feels good to be here,” he continued. “I cherish every single minute now. It’s different, you know? It’s different. It’s beyond — I wouldn’t wish what went through on my worst enemy because it’s tough when you almost … when it’s almost over, when you see the tunnel.”

“I saw the tunnel, I didn’t see the light!” he joked. “It was hot in that tunnel! I didn’t know what I was doing. S---, am I going to the right place? I see the devil going, ‘C’mon.’” 

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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