Singer Emma Kok: "I was bullied at school"

Baierbrunn (ots) - The young Dutch star is currently touring Europe with André Rieu – but her life isn't always easy, she reports in an interview with "Apotheken Umschau." Emma Kok won the 2021 Dutch talent show "The Voice Kids" with the song "Voilà" – this year she's touring with André Rieu. For the 17-year-old, it feels like a fairy tale come true, which she describes in her song: It's about a young woman who shows her passion and vulnerability while living her dream. In an interview with the health magazine "Apotheken Umschau," the young star also talks about her everyday life, which isn't always easy. Gastric paralysis limits her daily life. Emma Kok has suffered from gastric paralysis since birth. Because her stomach is unable to transport food, she cannot eat, but is instead fed with liquid food via two tubes. One tube leads into the stomach, the other into the small intestine. "I carry two canisters and this pump, which is connected to my stomach, with me for 22 hours a day. The pump is always with me and also restricts me. I can't move freely and always have to lug it around with me," explains Emma Kok. The fact that she can't enjoy chocolate, strawberries, or sausages is a huge burden for the young singer. But she tries to live as normally as possible with the disease, which often led to her being bullied during school. "When I was in elementary school, I had a kind of children's walker to transport my pump and liquid formula," she says. "Some children would say, 'Look, here comes Grandma.'" Because the disease also caused her to suffer from a growth disorder, some children called her "gnome" or "dwarf." Gastro stars as a platform for other sufferers. Even today, the Dutch singer has trouble trusting people, as she told "Apotheken Umschau." As a positive person, however, she refuses to let this get her down – her advice: "Don't give your health problems too much space." To connect other people with gastric paralysis, she founded the Gastrostars Foundation. Information about the foundation can be found on the website www.gastrostars.nl. You can read the full interview in the current issue of "Apotheken Umschau" and online at www.au.de. This article is only available for publication with citation. The health magazine "Apotheken Umschau" 7B/2025 is currently available in most pharmacies. Many other interesting health news items can be found at https://www.apotheken-umschau.de as well as on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/Apotheken.Umschau/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/apotheken_umschau/), and YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/apothekenumschautv). Press contact: Katharina Neff-Neudert, PR Manager Tel.: +49 89 744 33-360 Email: [email protected] www.wortundbildverlag.de https://www.linkedin.com/company/wort-&-bild-verlag/ Original content from: Wort & Bild Publishing Group - Health News, transmitted by news aktuell Original report: https://www.presseportal.de/pm/52678/6080128