Roy Keane’s daughter ‘mourned what life might be’ after being diagnosed with incurable illness but dad ‘lightened mood’
ROY KEANE’S daughter Caragh revealed she was left in tears after an incurable illness forced her to turn down her dream job.
The 29-year-old was diagnosed with lupus in 2021 when she was only 25.
It came after a prolonged spell of debilitating symptoms including joint pain, alopecia and painful blisters on her face and body.
Such was the degree of it that Keane – who had qualified to be a teacher – was left bed-bound by the condition.
It meant turning down the chance at her “dream job” at her old school in Manchester.
She admitted to the Irish Independent: “I cried on the phone because I had to turn down the job and just had to say, ‘I’m really sorry, but I’m really not very well at the moment.’
“I wanted to be the best teacher I could be.”
After undergoing some tests, she was diagnosed with lupus: a chronic autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the body’s tissues.
Now that she knew what was going on, Caragh could go about addressing it and no longer living in mystery.
Keane added: “Being so poorly ended up being a blessing in disguise because I was able to get the diagnosis really quickly.
“There was a bit of a mourning period for me, when you start to think about how your life might turn out.
“I suppose there was a sense of relief because, with that information, I could start looking into the next steps.
“At the age of 25, you’re sat there being told everything and you’re thinking, ‘I’m never going to have a boyfriend. I’ve not had children yet.’
“That was the sort of thing that was going through my head.”
Fortunately, she was surrounded by a loving and caring support network.
She is one of five kids – alongside sisters Alanna, Shannon and Leah, and brother Aidan – raised by Man Utd and Ireland legend Roy Keane and wife Theresa Doyle.
And while the Keane kids were often kept out of the limelight in their formative years, Roy was never shy of giving them his full attention.
This proved particularly useful when Caragh was diagnosed with lupus, as she revealed how his sense of humour helped lighten the load.
She revealed: “My parents were worried, but they put on a brave face a lot of the time, and they’ve been so supportive.
“My dad puts things into perspective and always adds that bit of humour to lighten the mood.”
Caragh Keane has parlayed her own healthcare experience into founding her own company – Superkeen Foods.
With the brand’s award-winning cereal and products, which are gluten-free, nut-free, milk-free, egg-free, 100% natural and autoimmune protocol-friendly, Caragh hopes to help others with lupus on their healing journeys.
