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Posted on May 04, 2026

When the Voice Behind Encanto Couldn't Speak

Picture this: a woman lies paralyzed in a bathtub, her body sinking deeper. Her nose touches the water. She closes her eyes, ready to die. Her husband walks in, pulls her out, and lays her on the bed. She whispers she's useless, just a head in a bed. The next day, Disney calls. She got the part.

Meet Adassa Candiani, the Grammy, Oscar, and Golden Globe-winning voice of Dolores in Disney's Encanto. Before millions heard her voice in "We Don't Talk About Bruno," she couldn't speak, walk, or eat. Doctors sent her home paralyzed with no answers. She wrote her will.

In a recent episode of Why We Believe with host Nathan Gwilliam, Adassa shares how God prepared her through underdeveloped lungs, a reggaeton career, seven children, and paralysis that arrived the day after her Disney callback. Your talent isn't yours to hold. Your past doesn't get to hold you hostage.

Lungs That Weren't Supposed to Sing

Adassa's mother was told she couldn't have children. After flatting during her first delivery, doctors forbade another pregnancy. Months later, there was Adassa. Born premature with underdeveloped lungs. No one knew if they'd make it.

Her grandmother dreamed of singing but became a nurse. Her mother got one song on Colombian radio before also choosing nursing. Music was in Adassa's spirit. Her parents were Seventh-day Adventist missionaries. Every service: mother on guitar, family singing.

First solo: His Eye Is on the Sparrow. Western Samoa years singing Teach Me to Walk in the Light. Never doubted Christ since. At nine: The Little Mermaid. Dream: Disney extra.

Competing With the World

At 17, Adassa signed with Sony Music. Sexy music. Sexy outfits. One of the first dark-skinned Latinas singing both English and Spanish in reggaeton and hip hop. Competition crept in.

She studied her competition and tried to beat them. She pushed the sexy envelope and swam in what she called gray. But there is no gray. There's black and white. When you think you're in gray, you're on the dark side.

She toured with Pitbull, Flo Rida, and Snoop Dogg. Madison Square Garden. Japan. Korea. But she had to ask: What am I leaving as my legacy? She wanted a good footprint. She stepped back, prayed, and felt inspired to have more kids. When she followed the path toward Christ, her life became better.

A 300-View Video Changed Everything

Adassa didn't submit for Dolores. She didn't know auditions were happening. Her husband wanted to shoot a video in Miami for Por Qué Y No Yo. She wanted tacos. They shot it anyway. It got 300 views.

One view was Grace C. Kim, assistant to casting director Jamie Sparrow Roberts. Adassa updated her phone. Hundreds of emails appeared. At the top: I would like to get a hold of Adassa. Her husband called from downstairs. It's Disney.

Twenty-four hours for an audition. She sent it seven hours later. Twenty-three hours passed. Gabe called the emergency number. It had gone to spam. Weeks later: callback. She did it live with Byron Howard and Jared Bush. The next day, the hospital. Her life paused.

I Went Home to Die

Hospital. Stuttering. Couldn't breathe. Her body shut down. Alone. Legs gone. She dialed her husband before her hands stopped. He couldn't understand. COVID restrictions kept him outside during tests. They couldn't figure out why she was paralyzed.

She signed herself out. Paralyzed from the neck down. Her husband wheeled her home. She wrote her will. Home teacher Terry Reist appeared, drove them to Vanderbilt. More tests. The neurologist: unknowns with COVID, might be Guillain-Barré, we can't do anything.

Home to die. The next day, alive. Every day became her last. She called everyone. Apologized. Told them she loved them. Couldn't walk and talk at once. Had to choose.

Couldn't eat. Anything triggered paralysis. Shakes with no gluten, dairy, or nuts kept her alive. They prayed. Gabe got inspired. Honey. Garlic. Foods one by one. Her body slowly regained momentum.

Lying on his legs when the call came. Congratulations, you got the part. He covered the phone. You have to tell them no. She whispered: Call them if I'm dead, I'm taking this.

This Talent Isn't Mine

Still paralyzed. Bath. Water rose. Body numb. Couldn't shout. Slipped deeper. Nose touched water. Eyes closed. Her husband walked in, pulled her out, and laid her on the bed.

I'm useless. Just a head in a bed. He said: You're everything to me. You don't need to do anything. We'll figure it out. The Spirit touched his heart to walk in. That saved her life.

Knowing her talent isn't hers was the hardest blessing. She sings because He loves her. His eye is on the sparrow. She wouldn't fly without His strength. She is that little sparrow, nothing big, nothing colorful. But he loves that sparrow just as much.

She no longer hides. She used to avoid offending anyone. Now she wants people to know the difference His grace made. You're not alone. God loves you.

Your Past Won't Hold You Hostage

Satan holds your past like a knife to your throat. Do what I say or I'll tell everybody. Adassa told it herself. She doesn't let her past hold her hostage. The love Heavenly Father has for her is so great. His Atonement overrides anything we do.

Her life isn't perfect. Baby at 18. Husband's divorce. Years to temple sealing. Wrong turns. But God made it right. She kept going toward Him. Sometimes the hardest thing is forgiving ourselves.

Hard doesn't end. New lessons keep coming. Get comfortable with hard. The Lord is with you through every wave because He knows what makes you stronger.

You're racing against your yesterday self. Not social media. Not anyone else. Just you. Adassa wanted to beat the world at the start of her career. She didn't want to be her best self. She wanted to compete. That's the fastest way to feel less than and walk away from covenant paths.

Her life is richer when she believes. She's had moments when the Spirit left, when darkness filled her. It feels like never-ending sorrow. She believes because she doesn't want that despair. With Him, everything feels possible. No pain unsurmountable. She says, “I believe because I cannot not believe.”

Key Takeaways

Your talent isn't yours. It's His gift through you.
When you compete with the world instead of yesterday's version of yourself, you lose your way.
Hard doesn't end. Get comfortable with it. Strength comes from embracing the weight, not avoiding it.
Your past only holds you hostage if you let it. Own your story before Satan uses it against you.
Living every day as your last changes what you notice, who you call, and what actually matters.

Thank you for reading this week's blog post inspired by the Why We Believe show. If you are interested in more stories like this, you can check out our other blog posts and episodes at WhyWeBelieve.com.

Subscribe to Why We Believe on your favorite platform. Visit WhyWeBelieve.com to download Your FREE guide on 13 Strategies to Increase Faith in Jesus Christ, to support you as you strengthen your own testimony of Jesus Christ.

Follow the Why We Believe Show - Website: WhyWeBelieve.com | YouTube: @WhyWeBelieveShow | LinkedIn: @Why-We-Believe-Show | Instagram: @WhyWeBelievePodcast

Follow Nathan Gwilliam - LinkedIn: @NathanGwilliam

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