Sunday, 19 July 2009

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Anastacia: I was in a wheelchair in my teens

Singer had operation at 13

Anastacia is now full of confidence

Anastacia has battled ill health all her life.

The pop star, who has Crohn's disease, had her small intestine removed when she was 13, because it had become infected.

'They had cut right through my stomach muscles and I was in a wheelchair for a while because I had no core muscles to support my weight,' Anastacia, 40, reveals.

'I was very angry about that scar for a very long time. I thought my life was over. No guy would ever look at me and see me as pretty, or want to touch me or love me.'

But by the time she reached her twenties, Anastacia overcame her insecurities and started flaunting her abs.

'If a shirt didn't show my midriff, I wouldn't wear it,' she quips, talking to The Mail On Sunday.

It was a huge shock to her fans when in 2003 Anastacia discovered she had breast cancer. She is now well after undergoing surgery and radiotherapy.

Anna Temby