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Cancer survivor Hansen Nichols returns to singing

Hansen Nichols is a cancer survivor and he thought he could never sing again. But  five years after an accidental discovery that he had thyroid cancer - and Stage 4 at that - he was able to sing again. But of course, with the help of therapy and a positive and determined atttude to win the battle.

"I never give up even when my doctor wasn't so hopeful, warning me that I may not be able to sing again," Hansen told this writer during a recent intimate interview at Sir Boy's Food Republique near Roces Ave. in Quezon City.

He relates that due to a car accident in California (where he was born and raised), he found out he was afflicted with the dreaded Big C.

"Hindi ako dapat mag-drive that day but because my mother and  my sister can't, ako nag-drive. Naaksidente kami. A few days after, I noticed a lump in the left side of my neck so I went back to the hospital to have it checked," Hansen recounts.

So far so good

After some tests, he was told he had thyroid cancer. He underwent treatment and was cured. He still religiously goes back to the hospital for periodic check-ups and he happily told this writer, "everything's been good so far."

But as he said, he was not daunted by this discovery; on the contrary, he was even more emboldened to achieve his goal of making it in Philippine showbiz.

Hansen impressed me as he spoke in fluent Tagalog throughout the interview.

"Back home in California (Burlington), I used to watch Tagalog movies and teleseryes because my mom is an avid  TFC subscriber, and I would always try to imitate the actors in their dialogues. And that was how I learned to speak my mom's native tongue, " Hansen explained. His father has Irish and Spanish blood.
 
When a former classmate with showbiz connections  urged him to go to the Philippines to try his hand in the business, Hansen agreed since he  always wanted to be a professional singer. He came to the Philippines and made it as a cast of a teleserye in the Kapamilya Network. After that, he  appeared in an episode of "Star Confessions" on TV5.

Then, Hansen said he auditioned for Philippine Dream Academy (PDA). He did not win but after this stint, he went on provincial concert tours  with the winners, Laarni Enriquez and Bugoy Drilon plus other ABS-CBN talents.

"Nakakataba ng puso na kahit tatlong taon na since I joined PDA, they still remember me," an excited Hansen relates.

Solo concert

And now, Hansen is having his first major solo concert, at the Metro Concert Bar along West Ave. Quezon City on March 14, 9pm. Aptly titled “Hansen at the Metro," the concert will also feature Bugoy Drilon, Liezl Garcia and Sitti.

Hansen is also a favorite for Casino Filipino shows and he has been doing the rounds of Pagcor branches. Hansen is flying to Bacolod a day after  his Metrobar concert.

"I really hope I can bring the same joy and excitement I did in my previous Pagcor shows in my Metrobar concert," Hansen said. "It is always a challenge for me to be singing in front of a crowd kasi Iba-Iba naman ang mga taong nanonood."

“Hansen at the Metro" is presented by Sir Boy's Food Republique and La Carmela de Boracay.