Meet Emma Kok, a 15-year-old Dutch singer with gastoparesis.
Emma’s disorder means her stomach isn’t working as it should.
The muscle contractions are too weak, and she can’t eat or digest food normally.
Since the age of 9 months old, Emma has had to sustain herself via a tube in her stomach.
Life is hard for some and even harder for others.
But Emma doesn’t just sit at home crying about it.
She has passions and dreams, and one of those is singing.
Despite constant bullying at school because of her condition, Emma never stopped singing.
That will to never give up and press on got her widespread attention.
With that attention, she got a chance to perform for crowds bigger than she’d ever thought.
Recently, she was invited by Dutch violinist Andre Rieu to perform in Maastricht.
A sizable crowd had gathered and booked seats for the event.
No doubt, most of them are huge fans of live orchestras and vocals.
Andre made sure to introduce the crowd to young Emma.
They hadn’t heard of her before, but Andre made sure to give them all the details they needed.
The crowd was now aware that a sweet, young girl with an awful condition but a beautiful voice was here to sing for them.
Emma arrived on stage to a welcoming crowd.
On the outside, you would never guess Emma had such a horrible disorder.
Her hair was styled and kept nicely, she looked to be of average build, and she wore a dress as she walked on stage with no difficulty.
But inside, Emma’s body has been constantly fighting a battle with her gastroparesis for as long as she can remember.
Though she didn’t come here to tell them about her condition, André already did that for her.
She was here to sing. And be assured, she’s good at it.
Emma is going to sing “Voilà” by Barbara Pravi.
Andre had previously told the crowd that Emma had a remarkable voice, and now was their chance to hear it.
And he wasn’t lying.
Emma’s voice is angelic and superb.
She was nailing all the notes with a fantastic tone and healthy breath support.
The crowd came to realize how strong Emma’s drive was.
Gastoparesis or not, Emma wants to be a singer.
And she’s a damn good one.
With a voice like that, she deserves that orchestra backing her.
All the people in the crowd are awestruck.
Smiles, tears, and disbelief are all over their faces.
Emma wasn’t just a survivor; she was a star too. She could belt notes and hold them.
And everyone here will go home knowing that.
She gave a spectacular performance and taught them about her condition.
Emma hopes that her recognition will draw more attention to her disorder and that a treatment or cure can be found within her lifetime.
In the meantime, listen to her wow the crowd below. If you liked reading this, please share the article too!
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