Madonna postpones her North American tour until she heals

In her first statement since a bacterial illness sent her to the intensive care unit on Monday, Madonna thanked her fans for their "positive energy, prayers, and words of healing and encouragement."

According to the performer's statement, her current goal was to postpone the North American leg of her tour and kick things off in Europe in October. The tour will be delayed, according to a statement from her management sent shortly after she was hospitalized, but specifics wouldn't be available until Monday.

"My first thought when I woke up in the hospital was my children," Madonna wrote. "My second thought was that I did not want to disappoint anyone who bought tickets for my tour... I hate to disappoint anyone."

She declared that her health was her top priority and that she would return to performing as soon as she was able. This coming Saturday in Vancouver, Madonna was scheduled to launch the Celebration Tour, which would feature a setlist of classics from throughout her career. On August 30 and 31, Boston was supposed to be the tour's stop.

On June 24, Madonna, who is famed for her glitzy pop songs, was admitted to the hospital with a dangerous bacterial illness. No information regarding tickets for the new dates has been released.