Bill Cosby's daughter Ensa has died at age 44 from renal disease - here's what it is

Ensa Cosby, Bill Cosby's daughter, has died at age 44 from renal disease, Reuters reported on Monday.

Ensa, who appeared in a 1989 episode of "The Cosby Show," in the role of a girl at a party, came back into the spotlight recently when she publicly supported her father after he was repeatedly accused of sexually assaulting numerous women.

Ensa was the second-youngest of Cosby's five children and the third of his four daughters.

Renal disease, also known as chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure, occurs when the kidneys begin to lose their function. Normally, the kidneys play a vital role in the body's natural filtration system: they siphon off waste and excess fluid from the blood, which are then excreted in urine.

The disease can accelerate when dangerous levels of fluid and waste build up over time.

Many people have few symptoms of renal disease in its early stages, but the signs that your kideys are not functioning properly may include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, changes in how much you urinate, swelling of feet and ankles, persistent itching, and high blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Without dialysis, a treatment that involves artificially filtering the blood, the disease can progress to kidney failure and be deadly.

People who develop renal failure typically have another health condition that results in impaired kidney function, like diabetes, high blood pressure, or polycystic kidney disease.

It is unclear what caused Ensa's kidney failure to progress, but USA Today reported that she suffered from a history of medical problems.

"The Cosby Family thanks many people for their prayers for their beloved and beautiful Ensa, who recently died from renal disease," the Cosby spokesperson who confirmed Ensa's death said in a statement.

Ensa Cosby made headlines in May 2017 when she released a statement with her older sister, Erinn, on the popular radio show, "The Breakfast Club," proclaiming their father's innocence against the multiple rape allegations lodged against him.

The daughters said they were faithful listeners of the show and wanted to use it as a platform to criticize the media's portrayal of their father, who was best known for his television role as the wise, witty dad on the long-running situation comedy "The Cosby Show."

"The accusations against my father have been one-sided since the beginning, and when he tried to defend himself he was sued in civil court," Ensa said in an audio statement that was aired during the morning show. "I strongly believe my father is innocent of the crimes alleged against him and I believe that racism has played a big role in all aspects of this scandal."

"My father has been publicly lynched in the media," she added.

Cosby, 80, is scheduled to appear in a Pennsylvania court next week for a hearing on pretrial motions ahead of his scheduled retrial on April 2.