Roy Keane’s daughter has ‘incurable sickness’ and needed to flip down her ‘dream job’
Roy Keane’s daughter, Caragh, has opened up on her battle with incurrable illness lupus – an autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue
The 29-year-old daughter of Manchester United legend Roy Keane has spoken out about her struggles with illness.
Caragh Keane, a qualified primary school teacher, was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease at 25, after suffering from a mystery illness that left her bed-bound with symptoms including hair loss, joint pain, and blistering.
She told the Irish Independent: “Being so poorly ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was able to get the diagnosis really quickly.”
For Caragh, having lupus – which the NHS describes as a long-term condition causing joint pain, skin rashes and tiredness with no cure – forced her to re-evaluate her life.
“There was a bit of a mourning period for me, when you start to think about how your life might turn out,” she said. “I suppose there was a sense of relief because, with that information, I could start looking into the next steps. And of course, at the age of 25, you’re sat there being told everything, and you’re thinking, ‘I’m never going to have a boyfriend. I’ve not had children yet’. That was the sort of thing that was going through my head.
“My parents were worried, but they put on a brave face a lot of the time and they’ve been so supportive. My dad puts things into perspective and always adds that bit of humour to lighten the mood.
“Being my dad, he’s just one of the funniest people you will meet. He is so very witty. He’s kind of a unique individual. I’m very grateful to have him, and he’s great to chat to.
“You’ll always get good advice from my dad. With our Irish background, he’s always very ‘let go of things’ or ‘you’re on a path’ and ‘someone’s looking out for you’. When I’ve been at my lowest, that’s been really helpful.”
Other symptoms of the disease include headaches, mouth ulcers, hair loss and weight loss, chest or stomach pain, and swollen glands. These symptoms can also be subject to flare-ups, and Caragh admits she went in search of specific foods she was putting into her body and what effect they had on her.
“It included trying to eat wholefoods,” she added. “[I’m] basically avoiding anything that would cause any trigger for me.”
Her illness unfortunately meant she had to turn down her “dream job” after a successful interview at her former school. But earlier this year, she launched her own brand called Superkeen. It features a range of anti-inflammatory and gut-friendly foods, including cereals. She promotes it at events and plans to launch it in Ireland soon.
