Entertainment
I’m A Celebrity 2021: Kadeena Cox thought MS diagnosis was ‘end of the road’ as she reveals campmates’ help
Kadeena Cox has left the castle (Picture: Rex)
I’m A Celebrity star Kadeena Cox has opened up about how her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis and how it affected her in the camp.
The Paralympian, who was the second star to be voted out of the show, reflected on her condition, which can affect the brain and spinal cord, causing a wide range of potential symptoms.
The 30-year-old explained that she wanted to show that people with chronic and invisible illnesses ‘can still crack on with life, we can still be happy.’
Looking back on her diagnosis, she told Lorraine Kelly: ‘I thought it was the end of the road and since then, I’ve lived a really happy life.’
As for how she adapted to life in the camp, she admitted that some of her favourite moments were when she was ill as her fellow stars were so great at looking after her.
‘The camp being around me…checking in on me, people helping me to walk around,’ she recalled.
Pointing out that she didn’t have her wheelchair, she explained that stars including Adam Woodyatt, Danny Miller and Louise Minchin helped her to walk around when she felt particularly ill.
Kadeena had high praise for her fellow campmates (Picture: Kieron McCarron/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Kadeena is very open about her disability, and aims to raise awareness of her condition – as well as helping to empower fellow sufferers.
The athlete was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2014 – with the condition being confirmed after she suffered a stroke.
Although she recovered from this and had physiotherapy, she then began experiencing burning sensations in her right arm, which eventually gave out to numbness throughout her entire body.
Kadeena was again taken to hospital for testing – and this time she was diagnosed with MS.
However, she hasn’t let this diagnosis hold her back.
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Kadeena previously told the MS Trust of her symptoms: ‘I get a lot of muscle spasms, so mainly through my right arm and in my right leg, and then when I’m quite fatigued I get them in both legs and arms and that’s when I spend time in my wheelchair.
‘I also have altered sensations and a lot of pins and needles and burning. And then I also have problems in terms of memory and thinking, and just fatigue in general. A lot of my symptoms come when I’m fatigued.’
Lorraine airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.
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