Princess Märtha Louise of Norway and her partner, Durek Verrett, are blissfully happy as their wedding day fast approaches, but things haven't always been plain sailing for the charismatic spiritual healer.
Shaman Durek, 49, has overcome many personal health struggles, exclusively telling HELLO! in this week's issue: "I've had a lot of blood pressure issues and have been prone to infections since I was a kid. I lived in countries such as Israel during wars and suffered physical abuse as a child – a lot of these elements broke down my system."
Things took a worrying turn for Durek at 28, when he suffered renal failure. "My body couldn't take it anymore. I ended up in hospital where I had a near-death experience."
Of the scary experience, he went on: "I flatlined seven times and the eighth time the doctor brought me back. I was in a medically induced coma for two months, and then I was on dialysis for eight years."
Luckily for Durek, his older sister, Angelina, stepped in to care for him, moving to LA with her husband to look after her brother. "I was in a wheelchair but thanks to the care she gave me, I got stronger," Durek says.
Her commitment to her sibling's health didn't stop there, though, as Durek continues: "Angelina donated one of her kidneys to me [in 2012]," an operation which means the shaman still needs dialysis to this day.
"Märtha and I have weathered many storms but now we feel we can do anything together – it's made us stronger," Durek enthuses.
His work as a healer has occasionally raised eyebrows, with Durek telling HELLO!: "My work continues to be misrepresented, and if something is repeated in the press, people believe it."
That said, Princess Märtha Louise fully supports her husband-to-be, relinquishing her royal duties to focus on the alternative medicine business Durek is at the helm of.
In a statement issued at the time of her taking a step back from royal life, Princess Märtha Louise said she was "aware of the importance of research-based knowledge", but that she believed alternative medicine can be "an important supplement to help from the conventional medical establishment".
Norway's royal wedding will be exclusively covered by HELLO! magazine. Check back on the website and pick up the most recent issues of HELLO! for all the latest news and photos.
To read the full exclusive interview with Martha Louise and Durek, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
The HELLO! Royal Club special offer
HELLO!'s biggest royal fans over at The HELLO! Royal Club are set to receive exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the wedding of the year this Saturday, including that most intimate of wedding staples: the first dance. Don't want to miss out on Princess Martha Louise's big day? Then why not take advantage of our special offer: join the club before this Sunday and get a celebratory 20% off annual membership.
In addition to this exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, you will open up a slew of other benefits including:
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There's 'Norway' you will want to miss out...
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