“she has had to struggle with serious illness”

Since her childhood she has had to struggle with serious illness.

In the above sentence the present perfect of the modal verb is used. I would like to ask whether the continuous form is possible.

Since her childhood she has been struggling with serious illness.

I would avoid the double has/had if possible because it can be confusing. I would even re-write the first sentence as: Since her childhood she has struggled with serious illness.