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Kauaʻi Singer Overcomes Double Cancer Diagnosis with Help from Hawaiʻi Pacific Health Teams

Published Nov. 18, 2024

woman holds guitar while sitting on rocks, overlooking a beach.

Ilima Rivera was raised on stage by her father, well-known Kauaʻi entertainer Larry Rivera, also known as "Mr. Coco Palms."

Ilima grew up to be a talented singer and award-winning songwriter herself. That's why in 2021 it came as a devasting shock when Ilima lost her ability to sing.

She was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer by Wilcox Medical Center Gastroenterologist Dr. Romeo Esquivel. The severity of Ilima's esophageal cancer, combined with the recurrence of her breast cancer soon after the esophageal cancer diagnosis, put her life at extreme risk.

Dr. Esquivel and the Wilcox Oncology team worked closely with Dr. James O'Brien and his team at Straub Benioff Medical Center on Oʻahu to provide Ilima with immediate care to save her.

Because of the teams' quick attention to detail and ability to work together seamlessly across the Hawaiʻi Pacific Health system, Ilima was able to fully recover and find her voice again.

Since then, Ilima has won an award at a Kauaʻi composers contest for her song "Be Strong as a Warrior," which reflects back on her cancer journey.


Watch the video below for Ilima's full story and to hear more about this inspiring story of hope, along with a sneak listen to her song "Be Strong as a Warrior."

View transcript
[Music]
Be strong as a warrior as a warrior. My passion in life [pause] I am a singer songwriter and I love to play my guitar. my daughters I've taught them how to dance the hula sing play instruments well music of course is my
passion in life and it all came to a big halt for me during uh the covid time.
Ilima presented to us with trouble swallowing and some weight loss I took her to endoscopy and we found the mass in her esophagus which we biopsied and the biopsies came back as esophageal cancer.
We did a PET CT in order to see the extent of disease and make sure that her um esophageal cancer had not spread to other parts of her body and in that PET CT an area in her right breast lit up and that was the exact area that she had had uh breast cancer in about 15 years prior.
There's so much that goes through your mind when you have these illnesses you to kind of choose what is valuable that you have the moments with your with my daughters and my grandchildren.
I remember getting this phone call from my mom and she said that she was like stage three cancer for her um esophageal cancer and that her breast cancer had reoccurred again. it was very like heartbreak news to hear that.
Esophageal cancer is very very difficult it's very challenging it's how we eat right everything we eat passes down through that esophagus
I was 89 lbs and I thought I was going to die. I started to prepare and I'm not sure if going to make it.
She was referred for a procedure called endoscopic ultrasound that is a procedure that I do here at stub where uh I used the ultrasound to look through the wall of the esophagus in detail at How deep the tumor was going so with that information she went back to Kauaʻi to undergo chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
It was quite a long journey going along the way I was in the best care at Wilcox hospital and I appreciate all the healing that they gave to me.
It was hard but I just had to make sure like she was healthy and getting better each day and improving.
It took about six weeks of chemotherapy and radiation and after about a year and a half we felt she was stable enough to go ahead and um get the surgery done for her breast cancer and she had that last summer.
It took a little while for me to heal but I started singing in the choir and trying to get back in it because it's good for my health too.
This year for our blessing of the Christmas trees and Ilima sang and it just brought chicken skin to me it was so nice.
Oh my God itʻs so much fun with my mom now now she can actually stay up and watch movies with us. She's more energetic and that's what we've always wanted that's who she is.
[Music begins]
Be strong
Ilima is considered cancer-free she has no signs of any cancer in her body either breast or esophageal cancer.
One of the success stories of medicine where she was able to get the care that she needed where she needed it.
Everybody has a battle in life whether it be cancer or any illness I say unto them be strong as a warrior. 
[Music ends]

Ilima Rivera was raised on stage by her father, well-known Kauaʻi entertainer Larry Rivera, also known as “Mr. Coco Palms.” Ilima grew up to be a talented singer and award-wining songwriter herself. That’s why in 2021, it came as a devasting shock when Ilima lost her ability to sing. She was diagnosed with stage 3 esophageal cancer by Wilcox Medical Center Gastroenterologist Dr. Romeo Esquivel. The severity of Ilima’s esophageal cancer, combined with the recurrence of her breast cancer soon after the esophageal cancer diagnosis, put her life at extreme risk. Dr. Esquivel and the Wilcox Oncology team worked closely with Dr. James O’Brien and his team at Straub Benioff Medical Center on Oʻahu to provide Ilima with immediate care to save her. Watch the video to see how Ilima is doing today.

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