Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Marie Ocana, Unicorn Lover

The lupus community includes people living with lupus, friends, family and supporters across Georgia. For Lupus Awareness Month, we would like to highlight some of our lupus heroes and champions. 

Marie Ocana

My name is Marie, I’m 8 years old and very positive, fun and I have a lot of energy. And I love unicorns! My parents are Trheya and CJ Eberhardt Sr. Starting off our journey we never thought of lupus. September 2019 is the date my life would forever change, it’s when my mother received a call from the doctor’s office of my diagnosis.

They wanted to see me right away at CHOA which is short for Children’s Hospital of Atlanta. My parents were with me the whole way, but I stayed in the hospital for about three weeks. It felt like forever. I was very homesick and I didn’t like being poked everyday, almost every hour. In spite of everything, I remained very cheerful because my family was there to make me feel better and strong. I didn’t understand and asked why I was here.

My mom and I would pray and that would make me feel better. I live in Dublin  Georgia and go to CHOA in Atlanta once a week to get medication in my arm to help get my kidneys to work again. My family is part of the Lupus Parent Project. The moms and dads get to talk in one room. And the kids get to play games and do projects in another room. When I am too sick to go to a meeting, I miss my new friends! I know that I have lupus, but lupus doesn’t have me.

-Marie Ocana