Actor reflects on hidden struggles behind public moments, journey with chronic illness
Actor Mamya Shajaffar took to Instagram to reflect on the often hidden realities of living with chronic illness, drawing from her own experience with lupus.
Shajaffar posted a video on Instagram with the caption, “Unrelatable for most.” In the video, she said, “A lot of people with chronic illnesses become masters at making pain look graceful because the world responds better to suffering.”
The actor has previously spoken openly about her health struggles. On Iffat Omar’s podcast in May, Shajaffar detailed her ongoing battle with lupus, revealing that she fought for her life while hospitalised. She also shared that she underwent dialysis due to kidney disease and experienced multi-organ failure.
In 2024, Shajaffar documented her lupus journey on social media, highlighting the contrast between the moments she shared publicly and the difficult reality behind the scenes, including frequent hospital visits, facial swelling, scarring and constant weakness.
“My doctors asked if I wanna be the ambassador of Lupus here. I said, well, I thought it would be Armani or YSL one day, but sure, this might be more giving for the soul. Suppression is a disease, my friends,” she wrote at the time.
The actor has also used humour to discuss her condition, posting content about the moments she feels she is missing out on.
Through her candid posts, Shajaffar continues to highlight the often unseen realities of living with a chronic illness, encouraging others to acknowledge their pain rather than conceal it.
