Photographer Mike Mora, singer Kelis’s husband who had been battling cancer, has sadly passed away after losing his battle with the deadly disease.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Mora, who has been married to R&B singer since 2014, died after succumbing to stage 4 stomach cancer. He was 37. He was given 18 months to live last September.
Kelis’s management team confirmed the sad news.
“Sadly, it’s true that Mike Mora has passed away. We would ask all to respect Kelis and her family’s privacy as of right now. Thank you,” said Steve Satterthwaite
of Red Light Management in a written statement.Last October, in a series of Instagram posts documenting his battle, Mora revealed that he was battling a stage 4 stomach cancer diagnosis.
The couple shares a son named Shepherd, who was born in 2015, and a daughter named Galilee, who was born last year. Kelis also shares a son named Knight with ex-husband, rapper and entrepreneur Nas, now 12 years old.
Mora unveiled that he had not been feeling well, and he initially thought that the fatigue and pain he was experiencing was due to the physical work he had been doing on a farm he and his family had recently moved to. But he said the worst pain was in his stomach, and it started to affect him in a way he knew wasn’t right.
According to reports, Mora experienced various issues, from loss of appetite to severe stomach pain, and saw three specialists before an endoscopic biopsy. Mora was diagnosed with gastric adenocarcinoma — stomach cancer stage 4. The cancer had also spread to the lymph nodes in his back.
Last September, in an Instagram post, Mora stated that doctors gave him 18 months to live, and it had already been 12.
He posted a message to inspire those who may take life, things, and family for granted.
“I am posting this…after so much thought. Many hours thinking of what the right thing to do is. Not because of a selfish reason .not because I want people to feel bad or sorry for me and my family. I am posting this because life is full of the most unexpected situations. I never thought this could happen to me. At just 36, with 3 kiddos, and a wife that loves me. I want to be able to help those that might be experiencing something like this- a life altering disease full of questions and doubt- maybe, hopefully. By showing that it’s possible to make it through. You always see people post about how life is too short. How you should reach out to those you love no matter where life has taken you. It is the truth. Don’t take your time here, your time with friends, family, for granted. Sh*t can be over just like that!”