MasterChef’s Amina Elshafei has been suffering from a rare autoimmune condition for the past 18 months.
“For the last 18 months, I’ve been treated with a newly diagnosed condition called myasthenia gravis. It is myasthenia gravis awareness month and perhaps it was the little push I needed to confidently share with you my story,” the season 4 and season 11 contestant shared on Instagram.
“Thank you to my amazing specialists especially my neurologist, the beautiful nurses at the dialysis and day infusion units at Royal North Shore Hospital and to all the blood donors who humbly share the gift of their blood to help others like myself get treatments dependent on blood products and to provide blood products in emergencies.”
Myasthenia gravis is a condition in which antibodies attack the communication between nerves and muscle, causing muscle weakness and difficulties with speech and chewing.
In a video posted to Instagram, the cookbook author said she first started to notice changes in her body in 2023. Eventually, she struggled to get out of bed.
“To hear the diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, it’s not degenerative; however, it’s incredibly debilitating. The hardest part of getting the diagnosis is the knowledge that myasthenia gravis has no cure,” she explained.
After undergoing a variety of treatments over the last year and a half, Amina is happy to report that she’s feeling a lot better.
“The energy is a lot better, my weakness is improved, and I just feel overall that the medication is definitely working,” she said in the video.
“You know your body more than anybody else. If you know something is not right, get it checked out. Go see the right people, the right medical professionals, to find out what is going on, and please seek the treatment that you need. Don’t leave it too late.”
Amina’s fans have shared their support for the MasterChef favourite in the comments.
“Thank you for sharing this with us, sending you so many positive vibes and wishing you the best with your health,” one person commented.
“Thank you for sharing this. Being from the medical field, I can understand to some extent how tough this must be. But I’ve been watching you since MasterChef and have been a fan ever since. I know you’ve got this! Sending you lots of strength and prayers,” added someone else.
“Please know we are behind you 100%,” wrote a third person.
Amina competed on MasterChef Australia in season 4 and season 11. She quickly became a fan favourite as she showcased her love of Egyptian, Korean and Lebanese cooking throughout the series.
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