Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has opened up about the harrowing extremes of her battle with lupus, revealing that at her lowest point, she believed she wouldn’t survive.
In a recent appearance on Doyin Kukoyi TV, she disclosed that she couldn’t eat or drink, had to rely on oxygen to breathe, and had even purchased a burial site and written her will while fearing the end had come.
She explained that lupus, an autoimmune condition where the body attacks its own tissues, was initially misdiagnosed in Nigeria (Lagos University Teaching Hospital), and only accurately identified after seeking treatment abroad.
The pain, she said, was unlike anything she had ever experienced, even comparing it to childbirth, but far worse.
Though lupus has no cure, Afolabi continues to manage it through daily medication, injections, and regular overseas treatment. She also avoids prolonged exposure to light, which has impacted her acting career.
She attributed her survival to “God, the support of my family, friends and colleagues”, underlining that though the illness “has killed a lot of people,” she was not ready to go
