Nompilo Dlamini has endured a lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis (CF) and after years of fighting and clutching onto hope, she concedes that rest is what she truly needs.
Watch: Nompilo Dlamini sends shockwaves with these worrying videos
In the first video she posted on Monday, Dlamini, aged 26, opened up about the latest hurdle in her pursuit of recovering from CF.
“I might be going back home next week because the needed injection is not available here in India, which is part of the immunosuppressants that I am supposed to take. But, it is available in South Africa. But, at the same time, I don’t think I still have that will to take any more medication or to take any more chances of giving me hope to get help, and keep on the fight,” she said, holding back tears.
With the help of a public campaign boosted by rapper Cassper Nyovest, Dlamini raised enough funds to finance a medical trip to India in late 2021, where she was to undergo a lifesaving double lung transplant surgery.
However, it seems that somewhere in her journey, Dlamini was struck by a morale-killing spanner.
“For me, honestly, I am done with medication. I am just gonna let God do His will and take each day as it comes because, no, no, no I have had enough of the fighting. It’s time I get selfish and just think of me, nobody else. Next week I am coming back home. I don’t want to take any more injections, I do not want anything, besides me taking each day as it comes until God decides that I should be joining him and his disciples,” she said.
Following these comments, Dlamini’s fans flooded her social media pages with messages of encouragement and support, fearing for the worst despite her assertion that she was not suicidal.
The 26-year-old returned with a new video on Tuesday, assuring her supporters that while she has not lost hope, she does need rest from her draining pursuit of recovery.
I hope this makes everyone understand where I stand and why I'm feeling the way I feel💜no form medication will ease my heaviness now I just need rest 💜I appreciate all you have done for me from day one to this day,I would have long lost hope but you are here, but I need rest 💜 pic.twitter.com/BTyMhcfAZW
— #SaveNompilo💜🤲 (@NkhosiLa) January 4, 2022
Can Dlamini live a normal life post-surgery?
Cystic fibrosis, according to health experts, “affects the cells that produce sweat, mucus, and digestive enzymes.”
“If you have CF, a genetic mutation increases the thickness of mucus and other body fluids. When this happens, the thicker fluids can interrupt the function of organs — like the movement of air through your lungs. This can trap bacteria and lead to infections,” Healthline writes
While a full, normal life up to the 40-50 age range is possible with CF, it is not a condition that is curable. This means that lung function, irrespective of whether the organ was transplanted, “will steadily decline over time.”
With respect to Dlamini’s case, Healthline indicates that a lung transplant is a definitive option to improve and extend a CF patient’s life, but medications that suppress the immune system will be a permanent fixture of her life. Hence, she is due to return to South Africa, where the injection that works in conjunction with her immunonsuppressant medication is available.