"To my dear fans and friends, I wanted to write one more letter to express my gratitude to all of you for the immeasurable love and support that you have sent me these past few weeks. You have made me feel that my voice is not only mine but also yours, and that it has a purpose. There were times when your prayers and messages of affection and encouragement along with those of my family were the only thing buoying my spirits," Shakira wrote in a statement posted on her website last year.