Ted Kirkpatrick, the drummer for American Thrash metal band Tourniquet has died at the age of 62, after a brief battle with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare terminal lung disease for which there is currently no cure. Ted was the drummer (and occasional bassist) for the band since 1989.



According to a statement issued by his wife Cristy: "I have some very sad news to share. My beloved husband went to be with the Lord today, August 19, 2022. He was surrounded by his family and loved ones. It was a blessing to see first-hand Ted's amazing passion for so many things that captivated him for life, and it was humbling to stand by and witness his genius, creativity and seemingly never-ending natural talent. I know many of you are broken-hearted and certainly Ted's wish would be to celebrate his memory through his music through Tourniquet. About 4 months ago, Ted was experiencing chest pain and unusual shortness of breath. Up until this point, Ted had not been in a hospital in 40 years and all covid tests came up negative, to the end. After several doctor visits to a general practitioner, Ted was referred to see a pulmonologist who conducted many tests and an accurate diagnosis was made of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a rare terminal lung disease of which there is no cure.
IPF is a serious disease that causes irreversible scarring of the lungs and progresses, or gets worse, over time. This scarring makes it difficult to breathe and eventually the lungs can’t inhale enough oxygen for the body to function properly. Typically, IPF causes severe shortness of breath to where the simplest activities of walking across a room seem nearly impossible.

"Ted was able to share a few thoughts the night before he passed: 'My life has been so full of adventure and wonderment and for the past 30 years all of you have been a great source of joy as you shared your love for our music, my passion for animals, and my desire to share the love of God with all of you. I’m forever grateful for the unending loyalty so many have shown through the years and support of whatever talents the Lord gave me on this earth.
I leave behind so many wonderful friends, my wonderful family, the greatest family anyone could ask for, my brothers, Doug & Jim, my sister Sue, and my wife Cristy, my forever soul mate, my best friend and the most beautiful person I’ve ever known.
Thank you and I’ll see you sometime on the other side. Love, Ted'"

Source:	facebook.com
Band profile:	Tourniquet