Julie Andrews is a legendary Hollywood actress whose name is synonymous with her singing voice that she showcased in movies like The Sound Of Music. That’s why it was so devastating when she permanently lost her singing voice in a botched surgery in 1997, and in a recent interview, she opened up about how her daughter helped her get through this tragedy.

It was in 1997 that Andrews noticed that she was having some issues with her voice, so she went to speak to her doctor about it. The Mary Poppins star was then told that she had a nodule on her throat, and while it was not cancerous, it was hindering her from accessing her full singing range. Though throat nodules can often be treated without going under the knife, Andrews opted to undergo surgery.

Sadly, this turned out to be a big mistake.

After undergoing surgery at Mt. Sinai, Andrews was given the devastating news that something had gone wrong, and that she would never be able to sing at her full range again. The actress was absolutely devastated, and she filed a malpractice suit against the hospital and the two doctors responsible for robbing her of her singing voice. The lawsuit was settled three years later, with the amount of the settlement remaining confidential.

“I am glad to have settled this case in a favorable manner and am glad to close this chapter on an event which was unfortunate for all concerned,” Andrews said in a statement to ABC at the time. “I am very grateful to my attorneys, Peter Parcher and Orin Snyder, for representing me with such compassion and excellence.”

Since this happened, Andrews has kept busy writing books and starring in movies like The Princess Diaries. Years later, she was asked how she overcame this tragedy, and it turned out it was something her daughter said that got her through it.

“That was very heartbreaking,” Andrews shared. “But my lovely daughter Emma said to me once, ‘Mom, you shouldn’t feel bad about it. You’ve just found a new way of using your voice.’ Which was writing those books and incorporating music into those books. So suddenly, the weight fell off my shoulders and I thought, ‘Well, I haven’t lost the music. I just have to find a different way of using it and enjoying it.’”

While Andrews may no longer have access to her full range, fans can still enjoy her beautiful voice from the many songs she sang in her various roles.