Nigerian actress, Kemi Afolabi, has shared a deeply personal account of her battle with lupus, revealing how the life-threatening illness pushed her to prepare for death.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own organs and tissues.

The actress in March 2022 disclosed that she had been diagnosed with the condition the previous year and was told by her doctor that she had only five years to live.

The announcement sparked an outpouring of support from fans, colleagues, and fellow celebrities.

By July 2022, she had begun receiving treatment at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland, United States.

Speaking in a recent interview on Doyin Kukoyi TV, the actress recounted how her deteriorating health prompted her to make end-of-life preparations. She said she “bought where I would be buried and wrote my 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.

“Lupus has killed a lot of people. I had never heard of it till I experienced it. I was diagnosed with several illnesses before discovering it was Lupus. It is an autoimmune disease that makes your body’s system work against itself.

“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.

“Lupus has no cure. I am still managing it with medications, but I’m better. I travel abroad every now and then because of it. I have improved tremendously because there was a time when I had to get an injection every day. I can’t be under the light for a long time like I used to when acting.

“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 further explained. (Nigerian Tribune)