HER SILENT STRUGGLE
After she was booted out of reality show ‘Gegar Vaganza 4’ on Sunday, singer Elyana Emrizal shared a secret she had been keeping for seven years — she is a stage 4 Hodgkin’s lymphoma sufferer. TAHIR ALHAMZAH has the story
FIRST diagnosed with cancer in 2010, Elyana Emrizal kept it hidden from the public and her fans. But, when she was axed from Gegar Vaganza Season 4’s (GV4) fifth-week concert show, the 30year-old singer, whose full name is Erneelya Elyana Emrizal, nonchalantly revealed that she was a stage 4 cancer patient, after thanking her fans for their support throughout the contest.
“Honestly, I’m not a person who is comfortable about sharing unpleasant news,” Elyana said when asked why she had kept mum about her sickness in the first place and only revealed it now.
She said it was high time she came clean with her fans who had been supporting her throughout.
“I joined GV4 because of my fans, and I thought this was the most suitable way to finally get it off my chest,” said the singer, who had been advised by her doctors against joining the competition.
“Looking back at the stream of support fans have shown me, I feel like I’ve disappointed them for keeping this illness from them,” said Elyana, adding that the cancer had spread to her lungs and other parts of her body.
“I worry when I go to sleep every night... that I won’t wake up the next morning and I won’t be able to see my daughter again,” said the mother of one, who choked as she tried to hold back her emotions.
A few days before the announcement, Elyana posted on Instagram: “Sometimes the strongest are the ones who smile through silent pain, crying behind closed doors, and fight battles nobody knows about”.
Following the announcement, she has since made her Instagram account private, probably not wanting to see her account flooded by messages from followers shocked by her revelation during the show, which was aired live on television.