Roy Keane’s daughter thought life was over after getting same incurable disease as Selena Gomez

Roy Keane’s daughter Caragh has opened up on her diagnosis with lupus four years ago and how her debilitating symptoms left her bed-bound and forced her to give up a dream teaching job

Roy Keane’s daughter Caragh has admitted she thought “life was over” after being diagnosed with lupus as she opened up on her battle with the disease.

The 29-year-old, who is the second-eldest of the Manchester United legend’s five children with wife Theresa Doyle, was told she had the same disease as pop singer Selena Gomez four years ago.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease which causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue. There is currently no cure but symptoms can be alleviated if treatment begins early.

Caragh began suffering a range of debilitating symptoms, such as extreme joint pain, blisters, tiredness and hair loss and was forced to turn down a “dream” job as a teacher.

She was even told she may need to undergo a bout of chemotherapy to rid her of the agonising symptoms which left her bed-bound for almost two months.

Speaking to PA Real Life, she said: “Life was over. (There was) no way out. I wouldn’t be here without them (mum and dad). When I was diagnosed, I mourned the person I had been and the person I felt I should have been.

“The fatigue was unbearable but you just power on. I was essentially bed-bound for a month-and-a-half. I had been experiencing fatigue and memory loss for about six months. Since your immune system is essentially attacking itself, you feel like you only have yourself to blame.”

Symtoms of lupus can also include headaches, weight loss, chest or tummy pain and swollen glands. Lupus was recently given awareness after superstar singer Gomez documented her battles with the disease.

In 2015 she took a break from her career to deal with the aftermath of her diagnosis before having a kidney transplant two years later following organ damage caused by lupus.

Caragh has now joined the list of high profile names who have suffered with lupus – including Lady Gaga and Nick Cannon – and revealed how changing her diet helped ease her symptoms.

She has since started her own company called Superkeen, which sells a range of organic food that helps other sufferers of lupus, or people who struggle with autoimmune issues.

“When I look at it now, it’s obviously led me on this journey and I’m grateful for the food moments,” she added. “With the main overarching aim of being inclusive and knowing you’re not alone, I hope I can help people.

“Everyone’s on their own journey but we’re all in it together. I started eating real whole foods so I focused on good meat, fish and healthy fats, veggies and fruits, gut-healing foods like bone broth and fermented food, and supplements.

“I started noticing my hair growing back and all my blisters started fading on my face. My joint pain subsided after a few months and then I remember think, ‘There are lots of people out there suffering that don’t know the healing properties of food’.”

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