Mbombela mother speaks out about lupus diagnosis | Mpumalanga News

While many were celebrating Mother’s Day on May 10, a Mbombela woman was raising awareness about lupus, a serious condition she is battling.

This year, Mother’s Day happened to coincide with World Lupus Day. Charity Mbewe (54), a mother of three, was diagnosed with this chronic autoimmune disease in 2023. She took to social media on the day to explain how she is fighting something that people cannot see.

“Lupus has stolen my life from me,” she said.

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Before being diagnosed, Mbewe’s sleepless nights and persistent agitation led her to assume she had depression. She said she consulted a psychologist, who referred her to a psychiatrist. “I am a single parent, raising two boys and a girl,” she explained.

“I was feeling tired all the time and, even if I slept, I would still wake up tired. The hospital conducted blood tests and I was informed that I have the condition.”

Mbewe said lupus affects her thinking, vision and several organs. She was was informed that there is no cure.

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“I have to keep taking expensive medication to manage the condition. If don’t have it, I will die,” she said. She added that few people understand the impact lupus has on daily life. Something as simple as wringing out a face cloth a challenge for her. “My greatest fear is dying from shortness of breath.”

According to Mayo Clinic, lupus is a condition that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissues and organs. It causes inflammation that can
affect joints, skin, the kidneys and blood cells, as well as the brain, heart and lungs. As symptoms are similar to those of many other illnesses, the disease can be hard to diagnose. A common sign is a facial rash that looks like butterfly wings across both cheeks that gets worse when exposed the sun. Many, but not all, people with lupus get this rash.

Mbewe urged people to pay attention to changes in their bodies and have annual check-ups.