Artist Tracey Emin has shared that her brother, Alan, died while she was hospitalized receiving treatment for sepsis and diverticulitis. Emin, 63, who has been battling bladder cancer for six years, revealed the news in an Instagram post, stating she had spent eight days in the hospital due to a series of infections.
"My elder brother Alan died last week," Emin wrote. "I was expecting it but not expecting it. I know he is where he wants to be. I keep trying to tell myself the loss and sadness is mine. He is soaring high in a much better place."
She described Alan as a "kind and gentle soul" and expressed her deep love for him. Emin also shared the personal health challenges she has been facing.
"I also spent the last eight days in hospital," she stated. "I keep being unwell. This time borderline sepsis and an acute attack of diverticulitis. I've been suffering for weeks on and off, one infection after another. It makes me so weak. Every bit of pain, every heartbreak feels like the heaviest weight trying to crush me."
Emin recounted feeling "smashed with a sledgehammer. Broken, trampled, cursed…." She expressed a resolve to confront these difficulties, stating, "So I am going to get out my giant golden shield and breastplate. I'm going to polish them so bright that the whole world reflects. Any hex that's thrown at me will go straight back. I'm ready…. We live now in the cruelest of worlds."
She concluded her message with a poignant tribute to her brother: "Alan was right to take his leave. I love you Alan. Rest in peace."
In 2020, Emin underwent significant surgical procedures after being diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer during the COVID-19 lockdown. Her bladder, urethra, lymph nodes, and parts of her intestine and vagina were removed to prevent the tumor's spread. She was subsequently fitted with a stoma pouch, an external bag for urine diversion, and has openly discussed the physical and emotional adjustments required.
Previously, Emin shared details about living with the stoma, calling it "live flesh. Fragile and delicate. Surrounded by scar tissue and swollen puffy fatty flesh." She noted the significant muscle wastage in her core and abdomen, acknowledging that her body would never be the same. Emin admitted that wearing the bag was "quite depressing," but acknowledged it was a necessary part of her current life, highlighting that many disabilities are not visible.