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Former ENHYPEN member EVAN, whose real name is Lee Hee-seung, has opened up about his childhood cancer battle amid the release of his first solo EP.
The singer, who sparked buzz with his decision to go solo months ago amid a successful group career, was in fourth grade when he was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that happens when certain white blood cell become abnormal and start multiplying uncontrollably.
EVAN reveals his cancer symptoms
Sharing the symptoms he faced at the young age, the 24-year-old told Weverse Magazine, "I kept coughing, and at first I just figured it was a cold and didn't think much of it, but then when I was playing soccer, I took four or five steps and suddenly couldn't breathe.
He revealed that he found out about his cancer later during the hospital visit.
EVAN shared how he put on a "brave" face for his mother and used his musical talents at the hospital.
He said, "When the hospital held events like talent shows for the patients, I’d play guitar and even host them. I dreamed of being a singer ever since I was six, but to be honest, back then I didn't really have the mental bandwidth to even think about that."
EVAN also recalled returning to school and being picked on for his chemo hair.
In an emotional moment, he added, "I'd watch my friends pass away and kept thinking, 'I want to live so badly, I want to go home.' Thankfully I made it through treatment and got to go on with my life, but fitting back in with my friends wasn't easy. I had a lot less energy, and since my hair was still growing back from chemo, I got teased a lot for it. My friends would be like, 'What is that, grass? You’re like a monk.''
When asked why he chose not to discuss his cancer battle until now, he admitted, "I haven't thought about that in a long time. It hurts to bring it back up."
EVAN highlights the connection between his personal journey and 'Death of Me'
He explained, "When I sing on 'Death of Me', the lead single, that this 'ain't the death of me,' it comes from a place of having actually gone right up to the edge of death myself.
"No matter how far down I went, I felt over and over that it was never really the end."
EVAN's solo career
Heeseung, who was part of ENHYPEN from 2020 to 2026, is widely known as a main vocalist and he left the globally famous boy group earlier this year to pursue a solo career.
He officially made his solo debut with Ride or Die, released in March, before released his first self-produced debut EP Death of Me on September 7.
