Hello everyone,

      My name is Kristyne and I would like to share a story about my near and dear friend Christina and her fight with Lupus. Christina is a close friend of mine, she’s funny, loves the beach, loves taking pictures, and teaching fifth grade was her life. Christina loved her students so much, she never missed one day in five years. Pretty amazing! Little did Christina know her life was about to be changed drastically. About two years ago, Christina was having pain in her abdomen, like most of us would do she went to an express care to get it check out. They gave her medicine and sent her on her way, thinking is must have just been a virus or a “bug.”Christina continued to have pain in her stomach and returned to the express care where they proceeded to do an X-ray and found an obstruction. She was immediately taken to the hospital. Once they completed the surgery on her abdomen, everyone believed it was now the road to recovery and the storm had passed. No one could even begin to expect what trail of events would lie ahead.
      Christina began to show signs of cardiac distress and was unable to eat. What should have been her road to recovery led to a journey that Christina and her family couldn’t even imagine. She was placed in ICU for some time, being that her heart rate kept rising and she was retaining fluid. It appeared as though Christina kept declining in her health but the doctors had no answers as to why this was all happening. Christina was placed on a feeding tube to get nutrients but her body kept deteriorating. After a few months, the doctors finally released Christina to go home, it appeared as though her levels and her body were somewhat at bay. After being home for a day or two Christina’s mom knew something was just not right and decided to drive Christina to Shands Emergency Room, where she was admitted immediately for having numerous blood clots in both of her lungs, making it hard and painful to breath.
      Her parents stood by her side through everything. She was admitted into the cardiac ICU in Shands as they ran more tests and wanted to keep a close eye on her. I remember going with my friend Mackenzie to see Christina in the ICU in Gainesville, she was in tremendous pain and was eating very little. When Mackenzie and I left the hospital, we were speechless. We were afraid our friend wasn’t going to make it. We prayed for her recovery and for the doctors to find answers. After being at Shands for about a month, the doctors finally diagnosed Christina with Lupus. Finally an answer to what was taking over her body and her life. They prescribed her various medications that she had to take every day in order to keep her body functioning the way it should. Christina was now finally on the road to recovery that everyone was hoping for. Shortly after Christina was on the rise with her health her mom was diagnosed with cancer (again). Christina was ready to help her mom fight through it and be by her side just like her mom had done for Christina for over 6 months. With a heavy heart and disbelief Christina’s mother, Roe, was called from God with a greater plan in mind. Friends and family were shocked by the news of Roe’s passing and I watched an amazing family grieve the loss of a mother, a wife, a grandma, and a best friend to many people.
      Christina, her dad, and brothers persevered and although they will always and forever grieve the loss of this fantastic women, her spirit lives on with all of them and their beautiful grandbaby. For Christina, her mom was her rock through her whole diagnoses of Lupus and now she would have to fight this horrible disease without her, but she still has the love and support of great family and friends.
      About a month ago, Christina had a bad what they call “flare up.” Her body was building up fluid around her heart and her kidneys were not functioning at the appropriate level. Christina once again found herself back in the hospital. The doctors removed about a half-liter of fluid from around her heart and were watching her kidney’s very closely (thinking she may have to go on dialysis). Luckily her kidney levels began to increase and her breathing and pain in her chest began to get better. After about three weeks Christina has been released to go home. She is still on oxygen to make sure her heart is getting what it needs, but she is in great spirits. Her dad is absolutely amazing and takes care of Christina daily. She’s a fighter and will continue to fight but she needs our help. I can’t even imagine the medical bills that she has accrued over the past two years and with no income coming in, how does a person pay for all of this?!? Please take the time to donate to this beautiful, courageous, 31 one year old woman, who has her whole life ahead of her!