Jameela Jamil has battled cancer twice.
The ‘Good Place’ star – who has previously revealed she had a breast cancer scare in 2015 – hit out at the "cultural taboo around ageing" as she suffers from neurological condition Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and has also been stricken by the deadly disease, so every moment is precious to her.
She replied to a tweet slamming her as "too old" to wear a floral dress: "That’s fine. I don’t care if you think I’m 78. Because I think aging is cool and I hope I’m lucky enough to be able to do that. Not everyone gets the luxury of getting older. And I think it’s a sacred thing that I cherish every day. My lines are my souvenirs.
"It is a sickness of our society to look at aging as anything other than an achievement/privilege.
"I would just like to say, that as someone who has been chronically ill my whole life, and had cancer twice, I find it EXTREMELY offensive that there is a cultural taboo around aging. Those of us who fight for our lives and those who lost that fight young, deserve more respect.(sic)"
The 33-year-old star has also offered her support to Sia after the ‘Chandelier’ hitmaker revealed her own diagnosis with EDS last week.
Sia tweeted: "Hey, I’m suffering with chronic pain, a neurological disease, ehlers danlos and I just wanted to say to those of you suffering from pain, whether physical or emotional, I love you, keep going. Life is f**king hard. Pain is demoralizing, and you’re not alone (sic)."
Jameela replied: "Hey. I was diagnosed with EDS 24 years ago and have a LOT of information… if you ever need any advice. Together we can raise a s**t-tonne of awareness.(sic)"
According to the Ehlers Danlos Society’s website, EDS is "a group of genetic disorders generally determined by joint hypermobility (joints that stretch further than normal), skin hyperextensibility (skin that can be stretched further than normal), and tissue fragility."
The disorder is rare, affecting only 1 in 5,000 individuals worldwide.