LUPITA NYONG’O MARKS BIRTHDAY BY REVEALING BATTLE WITH 77 UTERINE FIBROIDS 

Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o has marked her birthday by sharing a personal health journey, revealing that she has carried 77 uterine fibroids throughout her lifetime and using the moment to drive awareness and funding for research into a condition affecting millions of women worldwide.

In a social media post, the Kenyan star opened up about her decade-long struggle with the condition, which she says has caused “constant pain, losing dangerous amounts of blood each month, and suffering in silence.”

In a striking visual accompanying her message, Nyong’o is pictured holding 77 fruits a symbolic representation of each fibroid she has carried. “Over the course of my lifetime, I have carried 77 uterine fibroids: 25 surgically removed, and more than 50 still growing inside me today, the largest the size of an orange,” she revealed.

The actress shared her MRI scans alongside the image, offering an unflinching look at a condition she describes as “not a rare story, it is just a rarely told one.“

Last year, Nyong’o broke her silence on the condition, and the response was overwhelming. “Women everywhere reached out with stories just like mine,” she shared. That inspired her to launch #MakeFibroidsCount, an initiative dedicated to raising funds and awareness for uterine fibroid research.

On her birthday, Nyong’o explained that her focus is not on age but on impact. “My birthday wish is a world where no woman has to suffer through fibroids untreated, under-treated, or unheard. To get there, we need research. And research needs funding.”

Through the campaign, Nyong’o is urging the public to donate to uterine fibroid research, emphasising that every contribution counts. “Every dollar goes toward research that could change or even save a woman’s life. Maybe someone you love. Maybe someone you are,” she said.

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths in the uterus that affect an estimated 70-80 percent of women by age 50. Despite their prevalence, the condition remains under-researched and under-funded, with many women suffering in silence due to stigma or lack of awareness.

Nyong’o joins a growing number of women using their platforms to destigmatize reproductive health issues and advocate for better research and treatment options.

“Thank you for celebrating with me in the most meaningful way possible,” she concluded.