Roy Keane's daughter has opened up about her harrowing battle with lupus, crediting her father's "brilliant sense of humour" and a diet rich in free-from superfoods for helping her through the toughest times. The iconic Republic of Ireland midfielder's 29-year-old daughter Caragh received a lupus diagnosis in 2021 when she was only 25.
Lupus is an incurable ailment where the immune system mistakenly targets healthy parts of the body. Her condition came to light following symptoms like joint pain, alopecia, and excruciating blisters on her face and body.
The overwhelming fatigue and intense "severe stabbing pain" meant that she had to give up her dream teaching job as doctors warned that a lifetime of immunosuppressants and even chemotherapy could be on the cards.
Caragh recounted feeling self-blame over her diagnosis and fear that her "life was over". She praises her parents, Theresa and Keane himself, for being her steadfast support, saying: "I wouldn't be here without them."
At a point where all seemed lost, a dramatic dietary overhaul focusing on anti-inflammatory and gut-healing foods marked a turning point in her life, significantly easing her symptoms and fuelling the launch of her own venture – Superkeen Foods, reports the Irish Mirror.
With Superkeen Foods' successful line of products—including an award-winning cereal—that boast gluten-free, nut-free, milk-free, egg-free, completely natural, and autoimmune protocol-friendly ingredients, Caragh aims to offer a beacon of hope to others embarking on a similar path to recovery from lupus.
Speaking to PA Real Life, she reflected on her diagnosis: "When I was diagnosed, I mourned the person I had been and the person I felt I should have been. But when I look at it now, it's obviously led me on this journey and I'm grateful for the good moments.
"With the main overarching aim of being inclusive and knowing you're not alone, I hope that I can help people. Everyone's on their own journey, but we're all in it together."
Lupus symptoms can manifest as joint and muscle pain, extreme tiredness, and rashes. Caragh began noticing the signs of the chronic autoimmune condition when painful blisters appeared on her hands, which was soon followed by overwhelming fatigue and hair loss.
The exhaustion became so intense that she once had to stop her car to nap and even dozed off during a hair appointment, an incident that left her "absolutely mortified". "The fatigue was unbearable, but you just power on," she explained.
Post-teacher training, Caragh suffered severe joint pain, making it impossible for her to turn her car's steering wheel.
She attended an interview at what was then her "dream school at the time", but struggled through the sample lesson due to the pain, breaking down in tears afterwards. Despite being offered the job, she had to decline, admitting she was too "poorly" to take it on.
"After that, I was essentially bed-bound for a month-and-a-half, and then my blisters spread across my chest and face and my alopecia was really severe," Caragh recounted.
For six long months, Caragh had been battling exhaustion and memory lapses, but she pushed through, thinking she could simply power on. However, when the pain became unbearable, leaving her bedridden and causing her to faint, she knew she needed further medical attention.
Blood tests led to a life-altering diagnosis in 2021: lupus. The news that she'd have to spend the rest of her life on immunosuppressants left her questioning her future.
"What is my life going to look like? " she wondered. Caragh explained the turmoil she felt, "Since your immune system is essentially attacking itself, you feel like you only have yourself to blame, which is horrible. You think, 'Why is my own body attacking itself? What have I done to cause this? ' In the darkest times, I thought, 'There's no way out of this'."
Feeling like her "life was over", Caragh turned to meditation in search of some solace and inner peace.
Yet, it was her family's unwavering support that proved to be her lifeline. Her mother's constant reassurance that "you're going to get better, your body can heal itself" was a beacon of hope.
Meanwhile, her father's infectious sense of humour and passion helped lift her spirits. "My mum very much believes in the power of your body being able to heal itself... and even when I have flare-ups with my health, she helps put things back into perspective," Caragh shared.
"My dad is incredible as well. He's the best person for advice and I think he's helped me so much. I feel really lucky to have them."
Caragh decided to channel her experience into something beneficial and delved into research on how she could mitigate her symptoms. Her explorations led her to the world of anti-inflammatory, unprocessed, and gut-friendly foods.
Experimenting with her own culinary creations such as nourishing bone broth and topping-loaded sweet potatoes paired with avocados, chicken and "hearty vegetables", she quickly noticed a turnaround.
She shared her food philosophy: "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," Caragh explained.
The results spoke for themselves: "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 thinking, 'There are lots of people out there suffering that don't know the healing properties of food'."
Caragh holding SUPERKEEN products (Image: Compton/PA Real Life)
Spurred by this revelation, Caragh embarked on a mission to create products to assist others in their journey towards "reset and heal (themselves)", culminating in the establishment of Superkeen. The brand's launch is set for this month, both in-store and online, with anticipated availability in establishments like Whole Foods, Planet Organic, and later, Selfridges.
Gratitude envelops Caragh as she reflects on the heartwarming response her venture has received.
While NHS guidelines do highlight the importance of medication in managing lupus, a well-rounded diet, inclusive of vitamin D and calcium, is also recommended to aid symptom management.
Seemingly in control and brimming with joy, Caragh concludes that through dietary measures, she is now managing her lupus effectively and confesses she is the "happiest (she's) ever been".
"Not one size fits all, but the bigger picture is to have a brand where everyone feels that they can reach for it, no one has ingredient anxiety and they feel positive," Caragh expressed. "Everyone's on their health journey and I'm along with them."
To discover more about the venture, check out @superkeenfoods on Instagram or head over to their website at: superkeenfoods.com.
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