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Multi-awarding winning singer/songwriter, MOBO nominated artist and worship leader Sarah Teibo was told she may never sing again. Here she shares how her faith helped her through her cancer diagnosis and treatment, and why sponsoring a child with Compassion means so much to her family.
Hi Sarah, it’s great to meet you! Could you tell us a bit more about yourself, and what you’ve got coming up in the next few months?
I am a wife and mum of two lovely girls. I live in London and I’ve spent the best part of my life leading worship in church. Just under ten years ago, I launched into releasing recorded music and now have four studio projects which have garnered a few accolades within the Christian and Gospel music space. (Find out more here: www.sarahteibo.co.uk)
Over the coming months, I plan to go on tour with my newest EP ‘Human like me’ to share my testimony of navigating fear, faith, vulnerability and healing. I hope to encourage and inspire people who may be going through a challenging season in their lives. The entire EP starts off with four words – ‘It’s gonna be ok’. More people need to hear this.
Where do you find inspiration for your music?
Sometimes, I write songs in place of prayer and worship. For example, the song ‘Spirit Come’ on my third album was written whilst I was fasting, praying and studying the Book of Acts chapter 2. The song sprung forth from my spirit. At other times, I write from my personal experiences. My new EP ‘Human like me’, for example, comes from a very vulnerable and personal experience of a cancer diagnosis and journeying back to health.
Tell us more, how did the cancer diagnosis impact your faith and your music?
In April 2023, I got the devastating news that I had a cancerous tumour on my thyroid. This news came just as I was about to start working on my next studio project.
It felt like I’d just been punched in the throat. I am sure my heart sank to the floor of that hospital consultation room. Though I tried to keep a brave face as the doctor talked, I couldn’t keep it together when I got home. It was just too much for me to process. Or to accept.
Faith played a huge part in helping me and my family process this phase of my life. I was broken, in despair and very open with my heavenly Father. It was in this place of vulnerability that God comforted and reminded me – if I’d never had a sickness, I would never have known Him to be my healer and if I’d never felt broken, I would never have experienced Him as my comforter.
How did you find your way forward through the treatment?
As I continued to navigate what this could mean for my future as a singer, I took a step of faith and attended the songwriting sessions my team had booked for May 2023. This was within three weeks of major surgery and I went with the dressing still on my neck! I could barely produce coherent sounds. I don’t know how I got through it, but somehow, I did!
Through this whole experience, my biggest fear was the possibility of losing my voice. This is something that was pointed out to me before I even went into surgery. After surgery, I had mild vocal paresis which meant part of my vocal cord was mildly paralysed, resulting in the need for vocal rehab to regain the strength in my vocal cords and essentially learn to sing again.
Was there a special Bible verse that helped you?
The thought of possibly never being able to sing with my signature power and pitch was quite terrifying, but I held on to a promise in Isaiah 40:29 where God promised to give ‘strength to the weary, and increase the power of the weak.’ I declared those words over my vocal cords whilst working diligently through vocal therapy. I retell the story of this particular phase of my recovery journey on ‘I Believe’, the third track of the EP.
It was a great relief to get the ‘all clear’ after surgery! I genuinely feel privileged that my story did not end a different way. Following the completion of my vocal therapy, I have a renewed appreciation for my voice and I now have a new outlook on life in general. My new motto is ‘seize every moment’. This experience also reminded me of how gracious and truly merciful God is – even in moments when we seem to lose our faith, He remains faithful to humans like us.
What is it about Compassion’s work that made you want to get involved?
Seeing and hearing the real-life testimonies of accomplished adults who were sponsored through Compassion. Some of these people would not have had access to good education, safe drinking water and healthy meals, but for the intervention of Compassion.
Knowing that there are hundreds of thousands more children who need to be reached; these are some of the things that made me want to play my small part in helping shape a child’s future in Jesus’ name.
Tell us about the child you sponsor with Compassion.
I sponsor a young girl called Abigail from Ghana (the country where my mother was born). She has the same birth date as my oldest daughter and was born in the same year as my youngest daughter. I have sponsored her for seven years now, and I enjoy getting regular updates from her where she tells me about how she’s getting on in school, how her family is doing and about her involvement in her local church.
What brings you joy as a sponsor?
Seeing the child grow over the years. I started sponsoring Abigail when she was only four – just like my youngest daughter – and it has been a joy watching her develop alongside my own children. I plan to visit her and her family in Ghana one day.
What difference do you think being sponsored by Compassion makes to a child’s future?
Being sponsored means, amongst other things, accessing good education. In my opinion, this is the first step in moving out of poverty, and accessing the endless opportunities the world has to offer. It could also mean as a child, they feel even more valued and loved. Someone is taking the time not only to invest in them financially, but also with emotional support.
What would you say to anyone thinking about sponsoring a child?
Sponsoring a child helps to lift them out of poverty. You could change the trajectory of a child’s life for the price of a few cups of coffee (or a chai latte, my personal favourite!). Your act of love in action could make the biggest difference in a child’s life.
I believe investing in people is the most worthwhile investment one could ever make – even more so when one is investing in children. It’s a truly rewarding experience, and I would highly encourage people to consider it.
