DELTA’S RECENT HEALTH SCARE
DELTA GOODREM OPENS UP ABOUT HER RECENT HEALTH SCARE
After her terrifying battle with Hodgkin’s lymphoma when she was just 18 in 2003, Delta Goodrem could be forgiven for thinking that any major health crises in her younger years were behind her.
But in a shock video shared via her Twitter account, Goodrem, 35, has bravely revealed she had to have her salivary gland removed in October 2018. Complications following the surgery left the ‘Born to Try’ singer unable to control her speech. A nerve in her tongue was paralysed, leading the singer to fear she would be unable to perform again. In the emotional six-minute clip, which has now been viewed more than 104,000 times online, Goodrem cried as she relayed her fears.
“My livelihood is my sound. I don’t want to go out, I’m super embarrassed,” she says. Goodrem also shared details of the intensive therapy sessions that helped her regain control of her speech during her year-long convalescence. “This is bizarre,” she commented. “It just gets really tiring trying to get your brain to talk to your tongue.” She adds, “This has been a little bit harder than I expected but all is going to be OK.”
Goodrem also explains that her health scare was the inspiration behind her latest single ‘Paralyzed’. “I wanted to share my story and say why I hadn’t had music out for so long,” she says. “[And] why this song and why I wrote it. As a songwriter, I write songs from my own experiences.”
WHO spoke to Goodrem last month after she announced her Bridge Over Troubled Dreams 2021 tour. It’s The Voice star’s first tour in more than four years. At the time, she alluded to how difficult the past year has been. “Everyone has had an extremely tough year,” she said. “First with the bushfires and now into COVID-19. This moment in time is unlike any other year.”
When asked to explain the title of her tour, Goodrem said that while the phrase came from her recent single ‘Keep Climbing’, it also referenced her own feelings. “The lyric has a lot of meaning for me right now. There is something quite visual when I think about a bridge over troubled dreams.” She added, “For me, it’s the idea that there is hope. It’s about moving forward and taking each step even in uncertain times. I chose this title because it’s about hope and finding a way out of any situation.”
Despite her personal battles, the singer – who has also recently launched the Delta Goodrem Foundation in support of medical research – has admitted the recent tough times have taught her some valuable lessons. “This year has been a confronting reminder of how fragile life is,” she says. “And, of course, how important our health is. It’s offered me a moment to pause and reflect on the most important things in life.” •