The death of a young Disney actress on Friday is shedding light on a rare disease that affects muscles in the body and can ultimately lead to complications such as lung disease and heart disease.
Suhani Bhatnagar, a Disney actress in India, died on Friday. She was 19. Per a report on NDTV, the young actress succumbed to an illness caused by an infection related to a rare disease called dermatomyositis. She was hospitalized at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where she ultimately developed a fatal infection.
Her father, Sumit Bhatnagar, talked briefly about the events that led to his daughter’s untimely death, saying that “her lungs [were] damaged due to an infection and accumulation of excess fluid.” He further stated that his daughter had been put on a ventilator, but “there was no improvement.”
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According to Johns Hopkins Medical Center, the term dermatomyositis is used to describe a group of muscle diseases that are often characterized by muscle inflammation. In patients who suffer from this rare disease, progressive muscle weakness follows inflammation of the muscles.
Symptoms of the disease can include red or purple rashes on skin that is exposed to the sun, as well as on the eyelids of affected patients. Other symptoms include calcium deposits under the skin, trouble talking or swallowing, and muscle fatigue and weakness. There’s no cure for dermatomyositis, but treatment can help to relieve symptoms of the disease.
Bhatnagar was best known for her portrayal of Babita Kumari as a child in the Disney film Dangal. The drama was co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures India and Aamir Khan Productions. According to The Hindustan Times, the film saw huge success at the box office following its 2016 release.