Shania Twain became an icon of the 1990s, charming everyone with her voice and building a reputation as one of the most influential female talents in the history of country music.
However, her musical journey has not been without its fair share of challenges. Twain's new Netflix documentary, "Not Just a Girl," premiering on July 26, explores the singer's humble beginnings and rise to fame.
Amidst her career successes was also another challenge in the form a battle against Lyme disease, which affected her voice.
Here's a look at how Shania Twain contracted Lyme disease, how it almost ended her singing career and how she recovered.
What happened to Shania Twain's voice?
Shania Twain feared she'd never be able to sing again after contracting Lyme disease in 2003, which left her with nerve damage to her vocal cords.
The hitmaker and multi-Grammy award winner opened up about her "devastating" battle with the disease, during an appearance on Loose Women.
The singer said: "There was a long time I thought I would never sing again.
"It took years to get to the bottom of what was affecting my voice and I would say probably a good seven years before a doctor was able to find out that it was nerve damage to my vocal cords directly caused by Lyme disease."
She said: "Our voice is such a huge part of our self-expression, and for a vocalist, a singer, obviously. It's devastating in so many ways."
Twain underwent multiple throat surgeries to try and correct the damage, admitted that she struggles to talk normally and that there was a time she thought she'd never step on stage again.
Though she persevered and is now able to make music as well as perform again, she admitted that the "debilitating" experience caused her to avoid daily interactions like speaking on the phone or talking loudly at gatherings.
What is Lyme disease and how did it affect Shania Twain?
Lyme disease is a tick-borne illness, which is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and spread through the bite of an infected tick.
Shania Twain revealed that she contracted the bacterial infection in 2003, after being bitten by a tick while horseback riding in Norfolk, Virginia.
Soon after, the best-selling musician developed problems with her vocal cords and began losing her voice. Twain took a break from performing and had to undergo several surgeries to regain her voice.
She revealed that the procedure was an open-throat operation, which aimed to stabilise the weakness in her vocal cord function.
Though she's back to performing, she acknowledged that some of the vocal damage was permanent and that her voice would never be the same as it was before.
There is also a chance things could get worse with time and require more readjustments in the future. However, the iconic singer has a positive outlook and has embraced her gravelly new voice.
