Popular Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has shared an emotional account of her near-death experience after being diagnosed with lupus, a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own organs and tissues.
Speaking on Doyin Kukoyi TV, Afolabi revealed that her condition was so severe at one point that she prepared for death, purchasing a burial plot and drafting her will.
“When I was down with lupus, I thought the end had come. I was on my sickbed and couldn’t eat or drink. I was using oxygen to breathe. I already bought where I would be buried, and I even wrote my will because I thought it was all over,” she said. “But God said it was not yet time to go. I survived with the power of God, the support of my fans, and my family. My colleagues surprised me. Everybody stood up for me.”
Afolabi first revealed her diagnosis in March 2022, a year after doctors told her she had only five years to live. By July of the same year, she had commenced treatment at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, USA.
The actress explained that her journey to diagnosis was filled with uncertainty, as she was initially misdiagnosed with several other illnesses in Nigeria. It was only after traveling abroad that doctors confirmed she had lupus.
“Lupus has killed a lot of people. I had never heard of it till I experienced it,” she said. “Every joint in my body gave me excruciating pain. The pain from childbirth is nothing compared to the pain of lupus. It was difficult. I stayed longer at LUTH because they couldn’t tell what was wrong with me until I traveled out and was told it’s lupus.”
Although lupus has no known cure, Afolabi says she has improved tremendously with medications and regular medical trips abroad. She recalled a time when she needed daily injections and noted that her condition now requires her to avoid prolonged exposure to bright lights during filming.
“People were saying so many things, but the one that got to me most and made me sad was when someone made a video of my situation and said I have been used,” she added.
