Coronation Street star Victoria Ekanoye has spoken out about her battle with sickle cell anaemia.
The actress plays Angie Appleton in the ITV soap.
Corrie star Victoria said she was “very emotional” when she was finally diagnosed with the incurable condition.
What did Coronation Street star Victoria say about her illness?
“We thought I was a carrier and especially with me not displaying symptoms of, you know, needing hospitalisation or any kind of blood transfusions and things like that,” she told The Sista Collective podcast.
“And I just managed the pain and almost, not became used to it, but just kind of battled through it.
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“Because I loved sport so much and didn’t want to give that up.”
I just didn’t really let on how bad the pain was.
She added: “If I’m honest there were probably times where the pain was quite a lot. But I just didn’t tell my mum because I didn’t want her to pull me from the teams.
“I was training as a sprinter, the 100 metres. And I just didn’t want to not do it. So there probably are times where I was a bit naughty and I was only young, but I just didn’t really let on how bad the pain was.”
Victoria’s major health crisis
Victoria told how she had a “really really bad” crisis in 2014.
The actress was in Spain when she was forced to return home for treatment.
She had to leave her job after she was officially diagnosed her with sickle cell anaemia.
“I was in my early twenties,” she added.
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“Which is a crazy way around it, especially when you see all these really brave, amazing children who are going through it – and adults as well – but at such a young age for them to know and be aware of their condition and for it to restrict their life in so many ways.
“I feel really fortunate that I got as far as I did not having that mentality, even if I had the symptoms.”
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