Posted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Voices of NMO
The first time NMO hit me was on the evening before Thanksgiving in 2010… I clearly remember it because my wife and I were on holiday in the United States. While standing in the brightly lit Times Square in New York City with flashing lights coming from every angle, I had to cover my left […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, ON, Patient, TM, Voices of NMO
My name is Mitchel Navarro. I’m 34 years old, a wife, and a proud momma to two beautiful children – a girl and a boy. I have a bachelors degree in elementary education and was a teacher when this journey began. My days would begin at 5 AM and I’d finally be able to crawl […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in Caregiver, NMO, Voices of NMO
On December 25, 2018, we finally received answers and a diagnosis after Dominic became ill on November 19th with what we thought was a bug that was going around his school… He was taken to Children’s Hospital twice in one week because he wasn’t getting any better with his symptoms. A couple of days passed […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in MOG, Patient, Voices of NMO
Now that I have been diagnosed with Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated disease, or MOG-Ab disease, I have met others who are afflicted and have listened to their stories. They all start similarly, with an acute attack, out of the blue, and always marking the start of an unexpected turn in health. My story is different. […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, TM, Voices of NMO
It all started when I was 20 years old – I went to urgent care because I was experiencing excruciating pain in my upper back to the point of tears. The urgent care team told me that I had a urinary tract infection and sent me home with a prescription for it. Two days later, […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in Caregiver, NMO, Voices of NMO
This is a story of how a warrior is made. I have been gifted with the job of being this warrior’s mother and I am proud to share her story. This is the story of a smart, beautiful, strong, athletic, healthy 12 year-old who suddenly was thrown into battle – a battle with fear, unknowns, […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, Voices of NMO
She thought it might be her fault. After all, she was working 14-hour days driving a truck, going to school full time and caring for a young son on her own… In 2008, Maurita suffered a bad stomach virus, but she worked and studied through it. Almost a year later, it happened again, virulently enough […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, Voices of NMO
Greetings Everyone, I’m Shiela Marie Sta. Maria Rutaquio, from Binangonan, Rizal 1940 Philippines, who have this rare and incurable autoimmune disease called NMOSD (NEUROMYELITIS OPTICA SPECTRUM DISORDER), a demyelinating disease mostly mistaken as MS or Multiple Sclerosis, same symptoms but different treatments to manage it. I’ve been diagnosed since July 31, 2018, which commonly known […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, ON, Patient, Voices of NMO
My NMO story started about 15 years ago. I was a sophomore in high school and was just released for summer break… The very next day, I started to feel ill. I was throwing up uncontrollably. It started with just a few times a day, and suddenly I was throwing up or dry heaving 12 […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, Voices of NMO
I was a 26 year old working in the Pentagon in the Navy Executive Dining Facility. I was Active Duty Navy for almost 8 years… On October 18, 2017, I had a colonoscopy because I was losing weight, bowels had blood and mucus coming out. After that, I start having a tingling in my thighs […]
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