Some celebs in Kenya are living with extremely rare medical conditions which have no cure, diseases that can only be managed by drugs and by adapting certain lifestyles.
Most rare diseases have no cure, so living with a rare disease is an ongoing learning experience for people diagnosed with these medical condition.
Below is a list of celebs with rare medical conditions which have no cure:
Gladys Gachanja
Media personality Gladys Gachanja suffers from an incurable skin disease since birth known as Atopic Dermatitis.
Atopic dermatitis (eczema) is a condition that makes your skin red and itchy. It’s common in children but can occur at any age.
Atopic dermatitis is chronic and tends to flare periodically. It may be accompanied by asthma or hay fever. No cure has been found for atopic dermatitis.
Gladys Gachanja’s son also suffers from Atopic dermatitis, she revealed her son was also born with the chronic condition.
Wambui Ngugi
Wambui Ngugi of the defunct music group Elani suffers from condition called Androgenetic Alopecia.
Androgenetic alopecia is a condition that causes permanent hair loss from the scalp, causing baldness.
Androgenetic alopecia is a genetically predetermined disorder due to an excessive response to androgens. This condition is characterized by progressive loss of terminal hair of the scalp any time after puberty.
Medication may prevent further hair loss. In some cases, surgeons can transplant hair or reduce the area of bald skin. Natural-looking wigs and hairpieces can help cover hair loss.
Although treatment helps, Androgenetic alopecia can’t be cured.
Joy Kendi
Celebrated fashion blogger Joy Kendi suffers from a chronic condition called Dyslexia.
Dyslexia is a learning disorder that involves difficulty reading due to problems identifying speech sounds and learning how they relate to letters and words (decoding). It affects areas of the brain that process language.
Adults with dyslexia often have a wide range of nonspecific mental health, emotional, and work difficulties. They may have low self-esteem, experience shame, humiliation, or lack confidence in their ability to perform at work or school.
Kendi was diagnosed with dyslexia when she was age 12. Treatment can help, but this condition can’t be cured.
Nazizi
The First Lady of Kenyan hip hop suffers from a condition called Chondromalacia Patella.
Chondromalacia patella (knee pain) is the softening and breakdown of the tissue (cartilage) on the underside of the kneecap (patella).
The cartilage under the kneecap is a natural shock absorber. Chondromalacia patellae may develop when the knee is overused or injured.
The most common symptom is knee pain that worsens when walking up or down stairs. Kneeling, squatting or sitting cross-legged may also hurt.
Chondromalacia patellae can’t be cured. However, a program of weight loss, avoidance of those activities which make it worse, exercise, and/or injections may help one to manage the condition.
It’s usually treated with rest, pain relievers and physiotherapy. If these treatments don’t work, surgery may be required.
Anita Nderu
Media personality has been battling seizures for a while, but it got worse in January 2020 when she broke her shoulder bones and had to be put back using a titanium plate.
Seizures are disorder in which nerve cell activity in the brain is disturbed, causing loss of consciousness and even epilepsy.
Seizure is managed by medication and in some cases by surgery, devices or dietary changes. Treatment can help, but this condition can’t be cured.
Frankie Kiarie
Fitness enthusiast Frankie Kiarie alias Frankie Just Gym It suffers from a condition called Vitiligo.
Vitiligo is a condition where pale white patches develop on the skin. It’s caused by the lack of melanin, which is the pigment in skin. Vitiligo can affect any area of skin, but it commonly happens on the face, neck and hands, and in skin creases.
Treatment may improve the appearance of the skin but this condition can’t be cured.
