There’s still a long journey ahead of me: Holly Rey opens up about health struggles

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By Lineo Lesemane

Lifestyle Journalist


The singer says she has been in and out of hospital since December.


Award-winning singer and songwriter Holly Rey has opened up about her ongoing health battle.

The Deeper hitmaker, who is battling type 1 diabetes, said she decided to share her health struggles in the hope of helping others facing similar challenges.

“The last few months have been incredibly difficult for me from a health perspective.

At one point, it was very touch and go. I’m finally at a point where I’m strong enough physically and emotionally to start talking about it,” she said.

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Holly Rey on hospitalisation and diagnosis

In December, she was hospitalised for severe dehydration, which led to a significant drop in her kidney function.

“I was hospitalised for about a week. It seemed to be severe dehydration and fatigue. It was my body taking a knock from all the hard work I’d done last year,” she added.

In late January, her health took another alarming turn.

“At the end of January, I was hospitalised again, this time with kidney failure.

“My kidney function was so low that there were discussions about dialysis. It was a really scary time. I thought kidney failure had to be linked to my diabetes, but my diabetes was relatively well-controlled. It didn’t make sense.”

She said she spent the first days in the hospital being tested for other chronic illnesses.

“I was treated with acute ketone therapy – it was a bit of a blessing and a curse. At least it wasn’t permanent kidney failure.”

She added: “There’s still a long journey ahead of me, but I’m taking it one day at a time. I’m sharing my story in the hope that it can make a difference for someone else dealing with their own health battles.”

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A post shared by Holly Rey (@hollyreymusic)

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