Actress Peel Jarunee Clarifies SLE Diagnosis After Blood Transfusion
Thai actress Peel Jarunee clarified she developed SLE from a blood transfusion after an accident, not the same kidney-affecting form that killed singer Pumpuang Duangjan. She stated her joint-focused lupus is manageable and not life-threatening, and thanked the public for their overwhelming support.
Veteran actress Peel Jarunee has clarified her recent health scare, revealing she contracted systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) from a blood transfusion following a past accident. She emphasized her condition differs from the late singer Pumpuang Duangjan, whose SLE affected her kidneys, while Peel's affects her joints. The actress assured fans she is undergoing treatment and the situation is not life-threatening.
Amid widespread concern after reports surfaced that the legendary actress was battling lupus, Peel Jarunee posted a video on her fan page explaining: "There may have been a slight misunderstanding. I received a blood transfusion during an accident, and that blood carried SLE, which required me to manage my health until the symptoms subsided. Recently, with the vaccine situation, anyone who had prior ailments saw them return."
Peel explained she referenced Pumpuang because when the singer passed away, people didn't understand her illness until doctors confirmed it was SLE. "Pumpuang had SLE attacking her kidneys, a newly recognized condition at the time. When I got SLE from blood, it didn't attack my kidneys like Pumpuang's, but settled in my joints, causing swelling. This may have led to misunderstanding that it could be fatal or very worrying. Not at all — I am actively treating it and taking care of myself."
The actress, who also runs a health and beauty innovation business with supplements and a clinic, said she can monitor her own condition. She thanked fans, monks, nuns, and old friends who flooded her with calls. "I want to say my SLE is not so severe that I'm bedridden or dying. I can take care of myself. Besides thyroid issues, I have SLE, plus some house and legal problems, but nothing else. Thank you all. I want to encourage fellow SLE patients — kidney involvement is treated one way, mine is joint inflammation treated another. I'm striving to get better day and night. Thank you again."
Source: Peel Jarunee.
