Tisha Campbell’s 22-Year Journey With Sarcoidosis: A Closer Look
Initially, Tisha—who has sons Xen, 22, and Ezekiel, 13 with her ex Duane Martin—tried to carry on as usual. However, she eventually decided to visit a doctor after noticing lesions on her neck and arms, as well as experiencing a frightening moment while on set.
“I was filming a scene and it’s difficult for me to revisit that moment—I had to sing ‘Ease on Down the Road,'” she shared. “I could tell by the end of the song that I was in a panic. It felt like I couldn’t breathe.”
Following a visit to her primary care physician, she was directed to a pulmonologist who determined that she had stage one sarcoidosis. She recounted, “He told me, ‘there are four stages, you need to prevent it from progressing further.'”
Unfortunately, after the birth of her second son, her condition escalated to stage two. Despite this setback, the star of Little Shop of Horrors found inspiration in the late Bernie Mac, who battled stage four sarcoidosis until his passing in 2008. This motivated her to prioritize self-care.