Concern mounts for Australian Idol star: "He has been seriously ill"
There is mounting concern for Australian Idol star Stan Walker, who won the seventh and last season of Australian Idol in 2009, over his recent health struggles.
Speaking on Thursday's The Morning Show, entertainment reporter Peter Ford said that that the 27-year-old had been battling a rare genetic mutation.
“It turns out he's been really seriously ill,” Peter said. “It turned out he has a rare gene mutation that required his stomach to be removed.”
Peter added: “If he hadn't got his stomach removed he would have almost certainly gotten cancer.”
A documentary about the Australian-New Zealand recording artists’ illness is set to air in New Zealand on Sunday night.
On Tuesday, Stan shared a preview clip of the doco, which will cover the last nine months of his life and his battle with his ill-health.
He is seen lying in a hospital bed, saying to the camera: “They're all expecting me to get up and walk around, but I'm scared.”
His mum then speaks to camera: “I'd rather I go before my children – any mother and any parent would.”
Stan goes on to say: “It's been hard for my mum, she cries every day and she blames herself too.”
He adds: “What if there's complication and I die?”
Alongside the video, Stan wrote on his Instagram: “This Sunday night 8.40 pm on @threenewzealand watch my documentary Stan.
“I bet half the people thinking I was on crack or whatever y'all were saying are feeling pretty dumb right now.
“This is bigger than all the talkers talking. It's bigger than me. It's bigger than what's happened & is happening to me.
“There is always someone worse off going through a lot worse. All I’m going to say is that I'm blessed to be alive and well.”
Referring to a native Maori term for family, he added: “God is good & I've been blessed with a back bone of whanaua and friends that go through the highs and the lowest of lows with me.”