12-YEAR BATTLE: LUPITA NYONG’O LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO FUND FIBROIDS RESEARCH 

Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is transforming her personal 12-year battle with uterine fibroids into a global movement. 

The actress, known for her groundbreaking roles in 12 Years a Slave and Black Panther, has officially launched #MakeFibroidsCount, a campaign aimed at funding research into less-invasive treatments for the condition.

In an announcement, Nyong’o revealed the moment that started her painful journey. “12 years ago, a doctor told me I had tumours growing inside me. The smallest were the size of blueberries. The largest, an orange,” she shared. “He called them ‘fibroids’ benign tumors that grow in and around the uterus, and reassured me they were common. ‘Common’ didn’t make it okay.”

After suffering in silence for over a decade, Nyong’o went public with her diagnosis in July of last year. The response was immediate with women from around the world sharing their own experiences. “I felt less alone, and more convinced than ever that this is not something we should accept,” she stated.

This realisation has culminated in the launch of #MakeFibroidsCount. Partnering with the Foundation for Women’s Health, Nyong’o is establishing a research grant dedicated to supporting scientists who are developing innovative, less-invasive treatments for fibroids.

“There’s something deeply wrong when a condition this widespread is this poorly understood,”Nyong’o said. “Do you accept this as the status quo? Neither do I.“