Teresa Kesovija: cancer, family tragedies and a suicide attempt
The Balkan star, born October 3, survived early personal loss, major surgeries and an attempted suicide she later spoke about publicly.
Teresa Kesovija, one of the Balkans' best-known singers, turned 3 October. Her life and career have been marked by repeated personal tragedies and serious health battles that she has at times recounted publicly.
Her story began with immediate loss: her mother died two days after Teresa was born from sepsis, at a time when many births still happened at home without modern medical care. During her studies at the Music Academy in Zagreb she met her first husband, singer Miro Ungar; the couple had a son, Alan. After their divorce she later married Croatian water polo player Ronald Lopatni.
While filming a music video in Germany in 1974, Kesovija received the devastating news that her brother had been killed in a severe traffic accident; soon afterward her mother-in-law also passed away. Those family losses left a deep mark on her.
Kesovija has also faced major health problems. After a cancer diagnosis she had one kidney removed; she has undergone operations to remove two tumors from an ear and has had surgery on her vocal cords. More recently, sudden cardiological problems led to a hospitalization and to doctors recommending postponement of her large solo concerts.
Darkest moments and a candid confession
In one of the hardest stretches of her life, when her son was only three years old, Kesovija attempted to take her own life while in Paris — an episode she later spoke about openly. "It's true, I tried to kill myself. I've never wanted to lie in my life. It happened in Paris, I was extremely distressed. The child was three years old then… I didn't have any one big reason, I think it was 1967. I was lying there, looking at the ceiling and collecting my dark thoughts. Like a robot, I jumped up and took pills. Fortunately, I was quickly taken to a nearby hospital," she recalled on one occasion.
Throughout her long career she has continued to perform and to be celebrated across the region, even as she managed these personal crises. She has been candid about the toll those events took on her, and about the medical procedures she underwent to continue singing.
If you are struggling and need someone to talk to, free and confidential help is available. In North Macedonia: 112 (general emergency), 194 (ambulance). Psychological support lines include 02 3176 055 (Macedonia Suicide Prevention Hotline, 24/7), 075 240 800 (mental health support at the University Clinic for Psychiatry, 08:00–20:00), 070 291 657 (additional support line at the University Clinic for Psychiatry), 070 390 632 ("Alo Bušavko", SOS line for children and youth at the First Children’s Embassy in the World "Megjashi", 24/7), 078 378 728 (teen and parent support line), 15-315 (crisis center "Nadezh", national SOS line for victims of domestic violence and crises, 24/7) and 075 24 11 24 (national support line for the LGBTI+ community, Skopje Queer Center). If you feel unsafe, go to your nearest emergency department or call emergency services.
Photo: press material from the event
