Singer Natalie Grant announced today that she will undergo surgery to remove half of her thyroid, a move precipitated by the discovery of two potentially cancerous tumors.
The procedure, scheduled for Oct. 10, will take Grant off the road until the end of November. She has canceled all of her shows and special appearances from now until the start of the Celebrate Christmas Tour with Danny Gokey, starting Nov. 30.
In an emotional video posted on social media, Grant told her fans about the upcoming procedure, the history of her thyroid issues, and how she's processing the news.
She said three years ago, an ultrasound revealed several tumors on her thyroid, which initially were benign. Since then, doctors have kept an eye on her thyroid, and two weeks ago, they found two of the nodules had "decided to not stay unconcerning." While Grant said an official diagnosis isn't able to happen until after the surgery, thyroid cancer is a possibility.
"Anytime you hear the word cancer it's terrifying," she said in the video, "but I've been told that... thyroid cancer is treatable and very curable, and I am grateful for that."
She noted that the surgery itself was a little scary.
"The surgery is a little bit riskier for someone like me, because I'm a professional singer," she said, noting that the thyroid's location in the neck is "tangled up there in the vocal box, near the vocal cords."
"There could be some changes to my voice," she said, "although I am not declaring that. I have complete faith in God. He never Goes back on His word, never breaks His promises."
She shared how when she was in her mother's womb, her mother received a word from the Lord that Grant would be "a voice to the nations."
"He's not going to break His promise; that's not who He is."
She said that while she's experiencing very human emotions and fearful thoughts, she's embracing many truths of scripture, specifically 2 Corinthians 10:5's admonition to "take every thought captive."
Grant said she covets people's prayers, not just for her, but for her husband and two daughters "who are super concerned for their mama." She also asks for prayer for the doctors, and for mercy and grace over her singing voice.
After the surgery and her recovery time in October and November, Grant promised she'd be back "stronger than ever."
"You have been an army that has rallied around me so many times before," she told her viewers, "and I know this time will be no different."
Check out her video below:
