Famous people who had tuberculosis

Nelson Mandela: The iconic South African leader contracted TB in 1988 while he was in Pollsmoor Prison.

Eleanor Roosevelt: The activist and former First Lady of the United States died in 1962 due to a number of health complications.

George Orwell: The famous journalist and novelist contracted TB later in life and died.

Carlos Santana: The iconic guitarist was hospitalized after being diagnosed with TB in 1967. Santana was 19 years old.

Vivien Leigh: The 'Gone with the Wind' (1939) actress was diagnosed with the disease in 1944.

Desmond Tutu: The South African bishop and Nobel Peace Prize laureate had TB when he was a teenager.

Emily Brontë: It is believed that the famous English novelist and poet died of tuberculosis in 1848.

John Keats: The English poet passed away in 1821 at the age of 25 after contracting tuberculosis.

Franz Kafka: The famous writer suffered from tuberculosis from 1917 until 1924, when he finally succumbed to it and died.

Cat Stevens: The British singer-songwriter contracted tuberculosis in 1969 and spent three months in hospital recovering from it.