How local singer Hashy Yusof overcame ordeal of having tumour at age 20

Two years ago, at 20, I thought I had everything going for me until doctors discovered a tumour near my spine, during a medical check-up for my back pain. The health scare has since given me a new perspective on life.

Then, I was in a state of emotional turmoil when I first heard the news. I had to undergo the tumour removal operation within a week after I met with the doctors, for fear that any delay could affect my walking ability.

I asked myself, why did this happen to me? I'm only 20.

I was scared as the thought of death crossed my mind. The days leading up to the operation were my darkest moments.

I dropped out from The New Paper New Face 2016 contest to undergo the operation. It was the second competition I had joined, following my early exit from the 2013 The Final One singing contest, where I fell on my back while onstage.

Luckily, the operation was successful, and I was back on my feet in a month, and my then-boyfriend, Marc Than, proposed to me.

I joined the following year's The New Paper New Face competition, where I was a finalist. Joining a competition again was to prove to myself that I could achieve something even after a life-changing ordeal.

It wasn't about winning, fame or glory. It was a personal journey that gave me a lot of strength and determination I never knew I had, and to show myself that I could do something better than before.

And, one of my life goals is to explore new things that allow me to express myself creatively, such as songwriting.

This article was first published in Her World Online.