Jayme-Lee journey through vocal rehabilitation

When Jayme-Lee Hanekom couldn’t speak anymore, she worried that her career might be over. She had built years of success as a musical theatre performer captivating audiences in shows such as Frozen, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Book of Mormon. Then, in April 2022, her throat started to feel ticklish during warm-ups. It was a small sign, but it hinted at a problem that would test her understanding of both her abilities and her identity.

“I felt like I needed to cough every time I sang,” Jayme-Lee recalls. “The effort I was putting in wasn’t matching the sound I was producing.”

She was able to access a speech pathologist who specializes in voice disorders – Debbie Phyland – through her theatre. The assessment showed inflammation of her vocal cord likely caused by fatigue and acid reflux from excessive gum chewing for her role as Violet Beauregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The management options were progressively more serious: complete vocal rest or referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist for steroid injections, or surgery. Jayme-Lee chose the rest option first and stayed silent (except for short periods of 5 minutes) for two weeks. Despite sticking with the regime, the symptoms persisted, and further investigation from an ear, nose and throat specialist confirmed the presence of a polyp on her left vocal cord. For a singer, the mere mention of vocal surgery is terrifying. “My brain immediately went to ‘no, no, no’,” she admits. But when rest and steroids failed, surgery became inevitable. “I cried and cried,” she says. “But I trusted my speech therapist, Debbie, and knew I had no other choice.” 

Jayme-Lee underwent surgery in July 2022. The rehabilitation process was gruelling. For five days, she was completely silent, relying on a whiteboard and text messages to communicate. Then came weeks of careful vocal exercises, steaming, and nebulizing to reintroduce sound to her healing cords. 

“I could only talk for one minute every hour at first,” she says. “And when I finally started singing again, it wasn’t immediate magic. It took time.”

But as she began auditioning for new roles, something still felt off. A second examination revealed the devastating news—her first surgery hadn’t removed the entire polyp. She needed to go through the entire process again.

“I was devastated,” Jayme-Lee admits. “But this time, I had no shame. I knew it wasn’t my fault.”

After her second surgery, Jayme-Lee knew her rehabilitation regime well – and stuck to it rigidly. Within a few days, she could tell that the process had been a success: her voice was back.

“On the fifth day, I whispered a word, and I knew—I could feel the difference.”

Jayme-Lee continued the gradual progression of voice rehabilitation – under the guidance of her speech therapist and voice coach (who had experienced a similar injury during her career).

Three months later, she stood on stage in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, singing some of the most challenging songs of her career. “A year before, I wasn’t even speaking. Now I was belting out Tina Turner,” she says with pride.

Jayme-Lee’s journey through rehabilitation highlights an often-overlooked issue in the performing arts. Vocal injuries remain a taboo topic in the industry, with some producers hesitant to hire performers with a history of voice problems. Yet, as Jayme-Lee’s experience proves, these injuries are as much a part of the profession as sprained ankles are for dancers.

“I refuse to keep this a secret,” she says. “Rehab isn’t something to be ashamed of. It’s about healing, learning, and coming back stronger.”

Now, Jayme-Lee is using her voice in more ways than one—not just on stage, but also to educate young performers on vocal care. “Warm-ups, hydration, and rest are key,” she emphasizes. “And if something feels wrong, get checked. Early intervention can save a career.”

Her next dream? To take Tina to the West End. And this time, she’s ready to sing like never before.