Since suffering a severe medical incident at Heklina’s memorial in May, Pippi Lovestocking has endured an induced coma, sepsis, and lost both hands and feet, but has opened up about the experience in a just-published interview.
It was a cruel act of the fates that longtime local drag star Pippi Lovestocking, whose real name is Scott Coker Free, suffered a cardiac infarction just minutes after speaking onstage at the May 23 Heklina memorial at the Castro Theatre. Pippi was a co-founder of Trannyshack in the early days, a significant SF drag star going back to the 1990s, and had been doing film and television work while based in Southern California.
Scott Coker Free acknowledged the incident in a June 25 Instagram post, more than a month after. “I had a cardiac infarction but I was sitting in the audience and luckily made it to Davies in time for surgery, but unfortunately, my hands were permanently affected, and now sadly must be removed. So I have to move forward in life without the use of my hands or feet.”
That sounds bad, but we’re now learning things were much, much worse. Today Broke-Ass Stuart published Pippi Lovestocking’s first interview since the incident, an interview conducted by renowned local drag king Fudgie Frottage. And Frottage also provides details of the awful ordeal Pippi has gone through since.
She went straight from the memorial to the Davies Campus emergency room, and two days later rushed to a cardiovascular care facility for surgery. Going on from there, Frottage writes that Pippi “suffered an aortic aneurysm when a cyst burst on the valve where she had surgery back in 1997. The complication of sepsis set in and Lovestocking’s doctors gave her a grim 22% chance of survival. Pippi was on a ventilator, dialysis, in an induced coma, and at least a dozen IV meds.”
But yes, Pippi is on the road to recovery, and well enough to speak.
“I was in limbo hovering between life and death in ICU — Heklina tried to drag me to hell with her, but I said NO — I want to live,” Lovestocking said in the interview. “I was doped up on Propofol, unable to grasp what had happened. My doctor had to explain. If anything, it was a complete shock that my hands and feet were ruined in the process of what happened, so clearly, that’s the hurdle I’m facing right now.”
Both of Pippi's hands and feet have been removed because of necrosis. “Sham Ibrahim, my Drag Daughter is going to help me do a Vlog while I am rehabilitating in the hospital which should be about 6 months or so,” according to Pippi. “I need to develop strength, balance and stamina.”
If you’re interested in sending flowers or cards, Scott Coker Free is at the Davies South Tower Short Term Skilled Nursing Facility.
There is also a GoFundMe to help Pippi Lovestocking cover the very substantial medical bills. Plus this Saturday, DJ Bus Station John is hosting the fundraiser Pennies for Pippi from 9 p.m. - 2 a.m. at Emperor Norton’s Boozeland.
Image: thepippilovestocking via Instagram
