Growing up, I was a very healthy, energetic, able-bodied child with supportive family and friends around me. At the age of 12, I caught a severe case of double pneumonia that ended up causing a litre of fluid to gather in my lungs and left me hospitalized for a month. This was the first big health scare I ever had, but what I didn’t know is that it wouldn’t be my last. Shortly after recovering from the pneumonia is when I first started experiencing Lupus symptoms. Even though I was experiencing daily fevers, muscle and joint aches, and migraines, what set my diagnosis into movement was when I was diagnosed with a sudden, unprovoked extensive blood clot in my left leg. Immediately my care was transferred to the amazing team at Sick Kids, and after a month-long hospitalization, surgery, many tests, procedures, and pokes later, I received my diagnosis of Systemic Lupus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome. This diagnosis was life-changing, especially at the age of 13, and in a very short amount of time, I lost my ability to do so many things that I enjoyed and valued. But as time went on, with the support of loved ones and my amazing doctors, I learned strategies to deal with my illnesses and took each flare and recovery in stride. I’ve spent the many years since my diagnosis advocating for chronic and invisible illnesses, sharing my story, and connecting with other Lupus warriors.

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