TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwanese pop singer Chan Ya-wen (詹雅雯) announced Thursday (March 18) that she has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
Chan, 54, announced that she had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in a recent examination. Doctors said that she has moderate cerebral atrophy in her left brain, reported CNA.
Chan stated that she has lost 8 kilograms within the past two months and now only weighs 42 kg. She said that she was shocked when she heard the news and at one point thought "God is joking."
During a press briefing at the Legislative Yuan that day, Health Minister and CECC head Chen Shih-chung (陳時中), who had recently sung on stage with her, said he had not heard the news. Chen pledged that if it was confirmed to be true, he would be sure to visit her.
At 10:30 a.m. that morning, Chan posted an image of her wrist with a bracelet from National Taiwan University Hospital. Above the photo, she included the following statement:
"Every sickness in life has a reason. I'm reminding myself to love my body and slow down. The most important tasks now are to learn to listen to the doctor, to not be afraid, to live a new way of life, and to cherish what I have now."
Chan is well known in the country for her Taiwanese pop songs. In 2008, she won the Golden Melody Award for Best Dialect Female Artist.
Chan has suffered other health scares in recent years, including a tumor in her throat that appeared on the eve of a 2014 concert at Taipei Arena. In 2018, she was diagnosed with a rare disease that affects her ability to produce saliva.
Chan's agent Sandy said that all of her scheduled appearances have been canceled for the rest of the month, reported UDN. She said Chan will focus on recuperation and prioritizing her physical condition.
Doctors do not yet know what stage of Parkinson's she has reached. Chan said she has not yet experienced the tremors associated with the disease and that doctors will continue to evaluate her condition and assess what treatments are necessary.