Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has hit back at critics who question the severity of her lupus condition because she does not appear physically ill, urging people to understand that some health struggles are not always visible.
The actress, who has been living with lupus, said she would no longer ignore comments that undermine her experience, stressing that only people who have faced the fear and uncertainty of a serious illness can truly understand what she has endured.
In an emotional social media post, Afolabi said those who had never gone to bed uncertain about whether they would wake up the next day had no basis for telling her that she “doesn’t look sick.”
“If you’ve never gone to bed wondering if you’re gonna wake up the next day because of how your body is doing, please don’t ever tell me, ‘But you don’t look sick,’” she wrote.
The actress said she had spent years tolerating situations she was unhappy with in order to maintain peace, but that she would no longer continue suppressing her emotions.
“Got nothing to prove to anyone. Opinions don’t pay bills,” she said.
Afolabi said she was now committed to speaking up for herself and others living with invisible illnesses who struggle to function while pursuing their dreams.
She also linked emotional stress and trauma to her health challenges, saying she had been medically informed that stress could trigger inflammation associated with lupus flare-ups.
“Trauma accelerates autoimmune disease, triggers inflammation that causes chronic lupus flares for me every day,” she said.
The actress added that her survival through the health challenges had been sustained by her faith, saying she was not relying solely on her own strength.
Afolabi’s lupus journey has previously attracted public attention after she revealed that she bought a burial site and wrote her will following her diagnosis, while continuing to advocate awareness about the condition.