Posted 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, Voices of NMO
I am no stranger to rare diseases. At 17, I was diagnosed with Toxoplasmosis. At 22, Phyllodes tumors. Chiari Malformation I at 26. It was not until 2017, when I received the diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica that my life was changed… In early 2014, I moved into a new desk at work. This new desk […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, Voices of NMO
The differential diagnosis: It is a skill we learn early in medical school and it is designed to guide the clinician on considering the possible underlying causes of a patient’s symptoms. A good differential diagnosis includes possibilities of each category: neurologic, cardiac, hematologic, infectious, etc. We are taught that the best physicians approach a patient’s […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Voices of NMO
Nicole was a first-grade teacher and chorus director in a Title 1, low-income school district, where she was a beloved, appreciated, and award-winning professional… In May of 2017, Nicole thought she had pink eye, got antibiotics, and went to school. On a Friday, she taught, directed a chorus concert, and saw her mother later in […]
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My name is Ryan. Three years ago, I was living the dream. I was happily married to my best friend, and we have three beautiful and perfectly healthy children. We all lived together in our new home in Westwood. For the past seventeen years I worked for what is now called Eversource Electric, the largest […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in Caregiver, MOG, Voices of NMO
When your daughter suddenly goes blind in one eyes, you feel helpless. When the doctors don’t know what it is or why it happens, you feel frustrated. When this happens in the midst of your divorce, you wonder if the stress of the situation caused the problem. So you do your best. You encourage your […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, TM, Voices of NMO
On the evening of Sunday, 17th January 2010, my mother was putting up a fight with my brothers and I to go to bed while we were chasing each other through the house. We had school the next day; I was 12 years old at the time. At 4am the next morning, I woke up […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, Patient, TM, Voices of NMO
My biggest fear in life was that I would have some incurable sickness or disease. Not heights, nor spiders, nor public speaking. It was getting sick. Both of my parents had a myriad of physical and mental illnesses throughout my whole life, which seemed to be getting worse as the years went on. My mother […]
Read MorePosted by: The Sumaira Foundation in NMO, ON, Patient, TM, Voices of NMO
My name is Kellin. I am a 28-year-old South African NMO patient and this is my story… Late in 2015, my father suddenly passed away. It was a shock to my system and I was not prepared for it. In the months/years to follow, I experienced weird symptoms – which I now know were due […]
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