Roy Keane’s daughter Caragh has admitted she ‘thought’ life was over after being diagnosed with an incurable illness aged 25.

In 2021, Caragh was diagnosed with Lupus, an incurable autoimmune condition which occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes its own tissues and organs as foreign, making proteins called autoantibodies that attack them.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the disease – famously suffered by singer Selena Gomez – causes inflammation, affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. 

And in a new interview four years after her diagnosis, Caragh, now 29, opened up about her tough battle with the condition that left her with joint pain, alopecia, and painful blisters on her skin.

The beauty, who is the second-oldest child of Manchester United legend Roy, 53, and wife Theresa Doyle, also credited her parents for saving her life as she recalled struggling so much that she couldn’t leave her bed for over a month. 

Speaking to PA Real Life, Caragh explained: ‘Life was over. (There was) no way out. I wouldn’t be here without them (mum and dad). When I was diagnosed, I mourned the person I had been and the person I felt I should have been.

Roy Keane’s daughter Caragh has admitted she ‘thought’ life was over after being diagnosed with an incurable illness aged 25 [Roy and Caragh pictured together]

In 2021, Caragh was diagnosed with Lupus, an incurable autoimmune condition which occurs when the body’s immune system mistakes its own tissues and organs as foreign

‘The fatigue was unbearable but you just power on. I was essentially bed-bound for a month-and-a-half. I had been experiencing fatigue and memory loss for about six months. Since your immune system is essentially attacking itself, you feel like you only have yourself to blame.’

Her spirits were lifted somewhat by her parents, with Caragh praising her mother’s unwavering support and positivity while also highlighting her footballer dad’s ‘brilliant sense of humour’.

She added that the Irish sportsman is ‘best person for advice’ and helped her ‘so much’, remarking that she’s ‘lucky’ to have her folks.

Despite this, things got so bad amid the pain and fatigue that Caragh faced lifetime of taking immunosuppressants and was even told she may need chemotherapy to help ease her symptoms.

Caragh also forced to give up her dream of becoming a teacher, having turned down a job offer as she was just too ‘poorly’.

She recalled bursting into tears following a mock lesson in which she could ‘barely move’ though he pain,  with symptoms eventually escalating so much that she was left ‘bed-bound’, while blisters had spread across her chest and face.  

After feeling that there was ‘no way out’ amid her crippling symptoms, Caragh took things into her own hands and began to search the link between gut health and inflammation.

Caragh soon overhauled her diet, switching to unprocessed, gut-friendly foods which eventually helped ease her symptoms.

In a new interview four years after her diagnosis, Caragh, now 29, opened up about her tough battle with the condition that left her with joint pain, alopecia, and painful blisters on her skin

‘The fatigue was unbearable but you just power on. I was essentially bed-bound for a month-and-a-half. I had been experiencing fatigue and memory loss for about six months’

The beauty, who is the second-oldest child of Manchester United legend Roy, 53, and wife Theresa Doyle, also credited her parents for saving her life [pictured as a child with Roy]

She added that the Irish sportsman is ‘best person for advice’ and helped her ‘so much’, remarking that she’s ‘lucky’ to have her folks

After feeling that there was ‘no way out’ amid her crippling symptoms, Caragh took things into her own hands and began to search the link between gut health and inflammation

The disease – famously suffered by singer Selena Gomez [pictured in 2024] – causes inflammation, affecting joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs

She explained: ‘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. I started noticing my hair growing back and all my blisters started fading on my face’.

Caragh added that after a few months, her joint pain had ‘subsided’, which led her to begin to think of all the other people ‘suffering’ without knowing the ‘healing properties’ of food. 

The businesswoman was then spurned on to start her own company, Superkeen Foods, which sell organic, 100% Natural foods which supports those with Lupus and other auto-immune illnesses. 

WHAT IS LUPUS?

What is lupus?

It is one of the chronic autoimmune conditions, where the body makes antibodies against itself and starts to attack it. Lupus – Systemic Lupus Erythematotsus (SLE) – has a range of severity. Some sufferers will have only mild problems, others have life-threatening organ damage to the heart and the kidneys.

What are the symptoms?

Tiredness, joint pains and muscle aches. A common first symptom is joint stiffness, particularly in the mornings. Skin and hair problems are a major feature of SLE – a rash in the shape of a ʙuттerfly over the cheeks and nose is common, as is hair loss and sensitivity to the sun. Other problems include depression and lung and heart disease, as well as kidney inflammation.

What can it be mistaken for?

It is often mistaken for other joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis which is also characterised by morning joint stiffness. It can also be misdiagnosed as a skin or blood disease.

How is it diagnosed?

If your GP suspects SLE they will request a blood test. The specific antibodies that attack the body can be measured in the blood. The diagnosis is made when there is the combination of typical symptoms and high antibodies.

Who is at risk?

SLE is ten times more common in women than men and usually develops between the ages 12 and 25.

What is the treatment?

Controlling the symptoms, as there is no cure, using anti-inflammatories and steroid tablets in more severe cases.