Posted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient.e, Voices of NMO
My name is Hali and I am a 19 year old Scottish Law student living with NMOSD. — It all began in August 2021 when I developed a rash on the left side of my neck. It caused extreme nerve pain in the brain when touched the area and would trigger shaking spasms. I then […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient.e, Voices of NMO
Born and raised in Tokyo, Mamiko Sakaida always loved singing and wanted to become an opera singer. In pursuit of her making her dreams come true, she studied opera in Bologna, Italy, where she trained with the best of the best in her industry. Mamiko’s life suddenly and drastically changed in 2016 when she became paralyzed from […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient.e, Voices of NMO
My name is Christy and I’ve been fighting this disease without knowing what I was up against since before 2008… I started calling this thing my “venom” because it reminded me of a venomous character that took over my entire being without letting go. My venom’s name is NMOSD (neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder). It relentlessly […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Proche-aidant.e, Voices of NMO
Jarrie grew up on a farm and declares himself a simple man. I think otherwise. I think Jarrie is a man for whom love is simply enough. Jarrie married his high school sweetheart, Donna, on Valentine’s Day in 1975. She died on New Year’s Day in 2021. Donna’s health began to deteriorate when she contracted […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient.e, Voices of NMO
My name is Shanice. I was born and raised in Jamaica and now reside in Toronto in Canada. I am a second-year medical student aspiring to be a physician in obstetrics/gynecology. I have always considered myself to be a very healthy individual with a very pepping personality. When I started medical school in 2017 in […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Voices of NMO
Tiffany was a military brat with both of her parents serving in the Navy, so joining up herself seemed the obvious choice for her. She enlisted in 2006 and met her husband on board a Navy ship in 2009. It was where she was meant to be. Tiffany was stationed in Suffolk, Virginia in January […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Voices of NMO
My name is Mary Lou Gallegos. I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I am the co-owner/founder of SA Perks L.L.C Detox Juices and Tonics. I am the mother of four amazing children as well as a step daughter. In addition to that, I have four adorable grandchildren. I am a wife […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Uncategorized, Voices of NMO
My NMO journey started just a few weeks after having my first baby girl in August 2020. Being a first time mom, I had no idea what postpartum should look like therefore, some of my symptoms in the moment were overlooked and hard to tell what was actually happening! About 5 weeks after having my […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Voices of NMO
My first NMO symptoms hit three years ago when I was 9; I’m 12 now. To be fully transparent, I don’t actually fully remember that time very clearly. In January 2018, after having a blast skiing in Steamboat, Colorado with my family, I woke up with extreme fatigue, nausea, and dizziness. Previously, I was an […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Proche-aidant.e, Voices of NMO
August 29, 2017 will forever be embedded in my mind because it was the day my 9 year old daughter, Bella, woke up sick. It was the day that would change our lives forever… We had just finished a great weekend moving my oldest daughter, Estrella, into her dorm for her first year of college, […]
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