Tank Lu slowed down his pace of work in 2007 due to a hereditary heart disease and then faded out of the entertainment industry for nearly 10 years. Photo: Tank Lu/Weibo
Taiwanese singer-songwriter Tank Lu has revealed the reason for his recent public disappearance.
Debuting in 2005, the 43-year-old is known for songs such as Personal Angel (2006) and If I Become A Memory (2009).
Lu slowed down his pace of work in 2007 due to a hereditary heart disease and then faded out of the entertainment industry for nearly 10 years.
“Hello everyone. It’s been half a year since we last met. Have you got used to my disappearance?” he began in a long post on Chinese social media platform Weibo on April 7. “Let me assure you I am fine now, although I almost became a ‘memory’ this time.”
He said he signed a contract with a new agency in May 2022 and moved to Hangzhou, China, to revive his career.
“In more than two years since then, I wrote new songs, released a new album, took part in variety shows and even went on tour. Everything seemed to be on track,” he wrote.
“But just like the previous time, my condition took a turn for the worse in late March 2024, even affecting my daily life. I was admitted to The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine for treatment.”
The doctors told Lu that only a simultaneous heart and liver transplant would be able to completely alleviate his condition.
“I knew that not only would I need compatible organs, but the surgery would also be very complex,” Lu said.
The singer-songwriter said that in order not to leave behind any regrets, he worked day and night for six days to write 10 songs for his latest album, which was released on July 30, 2024.
He also went ahead with a show in Kuala Lumpur, and held a concert tour in Kaohsiung and Taipei in Taiwan.
“My health began to worsen at an unexpected rate after the tour ended, with my heart failing first before my liver deteriorated,” he wrote.
“I developed a fever, and chest and abdominal fluid infections in August. I was unable to stand by September, and by early of November, I couldn’t eat anything,” he wrote. “My heart and liver function indicators were extremely abnormal, and I had problems with blood-clotting.”
He said that on Nov 21, the family of a brain-dead patient decided to donate the organs. The hospital swiftly assembled the various professional teams and proceeded with the surgery for Lu.
“The operation lasted for 12 hours and brought me back from the brink of death,” the singer wrote. “The hourglass of my life was turned upside down and I was reborn.”
Lu said he had a painful recovery period after the operation, but he overcame the difficulties despite the odds.
“I have finally survived the most difficult stage, and I walked out of the hospital today basically recovered,” wrote the singer, thanking the doctors.
Lu also appeared at a press conference on April 7 with the doctors at the hospital to talk about his recovery. – The Straits Times/Asia News Network
