EMMA KOK 22 Hours conected to a machine INTERVIEW part 1 (REACTION) 

Alex, this disease is far worse than can simplistically be explained by a few words. I wish I could tell you her condition could improve but no it gets worse if anything and this condition requires a feeding tube 22 out of 24 hours everyday, cleaning, flushes and other medicine tube changes, this disease is literally a full time job for its victim and being she had it since 9 months old her growth is stunted, she is foir foot eight inches 105 lbs, she has been bullied in school due tp her immature stature and having to tote around her food bags in school, kids unfortunately can be very cruel as if she needs more hell than each day already provides. I researched this disease and actually watched a well documented vlog of a young lady that has the same disease, she had to give up her nursing job because of the disease becoming worse and she literally had to fight every day just to live, Emma certainly faces the same and I am just glad that it seems she has a strong support system, many with this illness give up the fight and commit suicide at a fairly high rate. This song seems perfectly written for her and I understand how she totally connects to it. Basically its saying here I am with all my flaws and imperfections Please accept me, I am here right hear naked nothing to hide. Thats a rough summary I recommend everyone look at the lyrics in their language and you will understand exactly how this song tells of her challenges snd experiences perfectly. And yes it made this grown man tear up.

I agree to appreciate her talent and fortunately its one career that is possible to do, obviously she will not be able to give 3 or 4 hour concerts,she can't be away from the tube that long and her energy would deplete her much faster than a typical person. I do pity her disease and everyone that suffers from it, staying alive is a full time job literally and you have good days, meh days, bad and very bad days, her bad days are far worse than ours, pain, nausea, bloating, no energy to do simple basic things. Yes I feel sadness and pity and I am happy she has a strong support system, she will definitely need it.

Thanks buddy to react on this interview. She’s like a angel with a message for all of us. 🫶🏽

Thank you Alex for fulfilling the real purpose of art. Thought-provoking art creates a reaction within us, increasing our emotional awareness, making us ask questions and wants us learn more about the artist and the art. Emma is a world treasure and so is your channel. Rb

Thanks Alex. Emma is a fabulous performer

Yes, it's all about the voice and I can't wait until you react to her singing "Come Back Home.!"

Alex, we lost the video feed of Emma from about 4:16, up to 5:34 so there's a lot of silence, probably not what you intended. Thank you so much for making sure that people ARE aware of just what Emma is having to live with every day of her life, and you're right, she is an incredible young woman, and everything about her is so powerful, she comes across so well, and her humanity is incredible, in the middle of the shows in December with Andre, she took the time to put a post on Facebook about a friend who has the same condition, but has been suffering with it recently, so had to come to the show by ambulance, it's a very touching post, with several pictures, it was so good Emma took the time to do that in among everything else that was happening, She doesn't actually show it, there's 2 pumps in that bag, both the same size, and she's had to drag them around with her from 9 MONTHS old, I can't even begin to contemplate how hard that's been for her and her family, before she could probably even communicate adequately, let along understand the complexity of the implications, for years, she had to use a small kid size trolley to move them around, and it did cause her huge mental stress, and then there were the peers around her at school who both bullied and made fun of her, and of course, there were many things she just could not participate in, games, other activities, so much of life as a small kid growing up, and yes she was even smaller because of delayed growth, even as recently as 2 years ago in voice kids, she's tiny and now, at last, she has put on a growth spurt, but she wears 6" heels on stage to allow her to be at a better height. What she still doesn't talk about is things like routine replacements of the feeding tubes, she absolutely refuses any anaesthetic, to make sure that the gas doesn't damage her voice, and that means half an hour of intense pain, but she tolerates the pain in preference to risking damage to that incredible voice she has, and she never talks about the other implications of the illness, which can mean constant pain in her stomach, and if it's there, she doesn't let it show. Interviews like this make it so much easier to understand the anguish that is in her first single, a clear and emotional expression of what her life is like, and how much she'd like to escape from the pressure and pain of that experience, LAAT MIJ EEN VLINDER ZIJN , let me be a butterfly, the video has English subtitles. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gYu86yIM8i4.html You need to see the translation on screen (it's in this video) to understand the deep emotion, it's every bit as emotional as Voila, especially as she sings the section, 2:04 to 2:30, 'if only for a day, or even for a count of ten, I'd just like to live as another', and you will then see a gentle shake of her head, the pain in her eyes, the recognition of the awful daily grinding pain and reality of her situation, and then her head goes down to silence for a moment. Then she rises, physically and in the song she soars to an even greater height, as much as to say, 'This is NOT going to beat me, or define me, I WILL rise above it', an incredibly emotional moment, it was written just for her, an incredibly deep expression of her dream, which Andre made a reality for her on that Vrijthof stage in July. That first night at the Vrijthof in July, Voila, the video you've reviewed, it's now gone beyond viral, (32 million views and counting still ) Emma changed, mentally, her dream came true that night, it happened for her, in the words of another song she's sung, 'Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this', and while she physically walked out on to that stage, mentally, she was the beautiful butterfly emerging from the long period of pain and change, the chrysalis emerged from the cocoon and she soared high and free over the stage. Emma mentally went up with it, and absolutely dominated that stage, the orchestra and the audience, and it's hard to realise that this was the first time she had performed the new version live, she was truly inspired, she didn't just perform the song, she LIVED it, she poured her whole heart, soul and emotions into it, and was so powerful yet vulnerable on that stage, the result was she reached into the very depth of so many people there. Andre had worked his showmans magic, Emma was no longer a comptent powerful girl singer, the new Emma emerged and soared, she came out on to that stage visibly and emotionally a beautiful, strong, powerful, serene, composed, competent, driven and dedicated young woman, her star rose, and shone bright in the sky. The only reason that Andre and the orchestra were not shedding tears at the power of that performance was because they'd shed them during rehearsals, and had steeled themselves to control those emotions during the performances, he admitted it freely when interviewed by Dutch TV during July. Emma is very different now to how she was at the start of the year, and able to perform freely in ways that are new, vibrant and absolutely top flight, she has the confidence and the security to know she can do it, the video of her duet with Helene Fischer has already gone over 1 million views in 3 days, and White Christmas from the Andre concert is not far behind it, she's very much arrived, she IS a singer, and this is only the start, 12 months with Andre and his extended family will be so good for her, the love, support and exposure with Andre will be a massive lift to her rising star, and as we're seeing so clearly, she so deserves it, she's worked hard to make this happen. The other song that's hers, A recent release of a single 'Strijder' ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-DUgFUwem_t4.html This also has English subtitles, and again, it's a strong piece that very much echos the struggles she's had to cope with for almost all her life, another powerful song. A plea to everyone reading this. If you enjoy Emma as much as I do, please consider joining me in giving a (regular) donation to her foundation gastrostars.nl One of their key people is a surgeon who worked at Maastricht Hospital treating people like Emma, and she too suffers from gastroparesis, and as a result of her health declining, she's no longer able to work as a surgeon, it would be tragic if Emma's singing were to be affected or even stopped by a change in her condition, her foundation needs funding to help support research to find new treatments or even better a cure that will reduce Emma's dependence on feeding tubes for 22 hours a day, so please, if you can, let's help make her other dream a reality.

Exactly. And that's all that Emma wants also. When she's on stage performing she can feel Free and 'Normal', and she's not into 'pity parties'. She wants to be judged just on her voice and her performance, and nothing else, just like any other artist. But, sorry Emma, your voice, your stage presence, your vocal skills, your capacity to tell the story of each song, convey the emotion of each word, these are NOT 'Normal'. They're Extraordinary! Yes, the voice is still maturing, but all the foundations are there, resting on natural talent and a whole lot of hard work, to build from this great start into a brilliant career. 😍🤩😊

It is so nice that you showed this video to us. Emma really is a rolemodel for us all, not only a singer. Thank you and all the best for 2024.

Thank you so much

Alerte 🔔 au malibu

Thanks Alex for sharing this, I think what Andre said in his introduction for Emma’s performance that she is an inspiration for all of us is absolutely true! She is such an amazing inspiration not just for what she has to endure because of her health situation but also for her determination and hard work to overcome it and the best she can be in all aspects of her life, She is truly Amazing! I mentioned in my comment on your first video of Her that my Father had this disease and passed away from it, but that was a very long time ago, Emma is very fortunate to live in this day and age when modern medicine has advanced enough to be able to treat her and like Andre said maybe even find a cure for it some day.

You just NEED to watch Emma‘s duet with Helene Fischer of „Voilà“ EPIC 🎉

✨✨magical ✨✨good luck Emma Kok we look forward to seeing you with Andrei Ruie on the world tour ✨✨

Emma's disease is really terrible both physical and psychological. I read somewhere, I think it was on someone's reaction channel, a father telling about his daughter having that same disease. She could not deal with it any longer and shot herself through the head. Bitter, very bitter!

I am really touched by your comment. It is so special that you want to show the 14 yo girl behind the fenomenal singer she is too. I think you very justly used the word respect!!! And what to think about her parents, who maneged to educate her to this spectacular positive attitude in spite of her severe restrictions; miraculous!

The ability to live a full life within the restrictions given to you is in itself an art. So you're right. The emphasis should be on the art she's giving. And not just in spite of but probably even because of her restrictions. Great reaction. Thanks.

She was just recently in Mexico. They had to cut several concerts out as Andre got the flu. Anyway, on her YT page, there is a short clip of the audience chanting EMMA, EMMA, EMMA. Before she was able to start singing. She is already a huge star and she is just beginning. The world loves her. We love her. Go to her YT page and you will see a video or two of her speaking perfect English. She sounds like she was born in the states she speaks it so clear.

Brave, talented, beautiful, courage, what mor

Thank you, I loved listening to Emma Kok. I also like your very relevant comments on all these talents. A few days ago I discovered Lucy Thomas, and I think she has enormous talent. All his covers are fantastic, for example "Evergreen" WOW. I would have liked you to comment on this girl. Thanks for all you do.

It's so ni w to spead her story on your platform. She has a new song on the same stage with Andre Reiu it's called "Dancing on the Stars", you should check it out. Its in English. And it's absolutely beautiful. XO

This is heartbreaking. And Alex, what a hero are you just reacting to this interview.

To see Emma not knowing of her condition you would see a beautiful, confident, immensely talented young woman at the peak of happiness. To achieve this in spite of natures cruel treatment of her is an astounding testimony to her character and the support of her friends and family She is now embraced by millions who love her.

Her intelligent heart is a rare fine anywhare in this world. I hope she steadies her own ship through the turbulet waters called the music industry.

Total side-note: It's kinda odd how, as a German, I understand some of what she says despite me not knowing any dutch. Also, you can tell in her Voila-performance that she uses music to vent a lot of her anger and frustration.

Do Not be fooled by the images released this girl is way braver than the videos show. For instance she admits in an interview that she has a cool wheel chair she has to use. Doing a world tour is demanding even for the fittest of people so i really hope both her medical team and her parents continue to put her first and not fame and fortune. This young lady has exceptional natural talent and does not need a corporate image to have the success she deserves. I love to hear her sing in her native language even though i do not understand it. When you do get the translations especially Voila that would melt the toughest of hearts. I to shed a tear on this one. This song might as well have been written about her so you can see why the emotions in it are so real. The Song Door de wind is by far the best one she does. I do think Strijder was her way of putting out the real self she want to be. I hope i am lucky enough to see her perform one day and that she can stay healthy for a long time to come, this will test her to her limits if she is not careful She is to valuable a commodity to take any chances with. She has so inspired me and help me get through some tough cancer treatment, i will be forever grateful she came into my life at such a tough time. I wish her every bit of health and happiness...

bonjour et bravo pour les videos de Emma vos commentaires. je suis comme vous toujours tres emu devant sa voix et sa presence et prestance sur scene

Tanks for the interview