Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Shirlita Donald

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. 

Shirlita Donald

In December 2007, I was diagnosed with lupus my senior year of high school! This was my first time ever hearing the word lupus. Hearing that I had a chronic illness with no cure at the age of 17 really tested my faith in God.

Fast forward to February 2008, I found out I was 8 weeks pregnant. Not only was I taking on a new journey of living with lupus, I was also becoming a mom. Not only was I put on an unpredictable journey, but my family was as well. 

My first scare was just 10 months after giving birth. I woke up one night having a hard time breathing. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lungs). This was the start of me fighting for my life. 2009 -2012 were the worst and hardest years of my life. I went through kidney failure (only had 23% function), chemotherapy (lost majority of my hair), suicidal thoughts, hallucinations and over treatment of medication which caused an ugly scar across my entire face. While dealing with all this, I went to college and raised a beautiful daughter. 

In these years, I was told many times that there was nothing else they could do for me. By this time I had been on every medication they could think of for lupus. At one point I was taking 33 pills a day. I even tried Benlysta, but couldn’t continue to take it because it made my skin break out in blisters. Every medication has caused some adverse reaction that I was having to deal with daily. My teeth were breaking and falling out due to steroid treatment, I had lost many of my childhood memories, and most of all I lost myself! 

Fast forward to November 2016! I said enough was enough this is my last year being in the hospital for Thanksgiving (3 years in a row I spent my Thanksgiving in the hospital). I completely detoxed my body of all the poisons. I made a complete lifestyle change. Yes, it was very dangerous what I did but I felt like what more did I have to lose? I gave up meat, started exercising, pushed myself to get a job (I hadn’t worked since 2012), and started living life instead of letting it pass me by. 

It’s 2020 and I’m down 170lbs, I only have 3 medications (hope to be off 2 more soon), my daughter is 11 years old and my best friend who’s been by my side since I was diagnosed.  I’m living on my own and I’m working in the medical field as a medical assistant. Any lupus warrior can tell you this life isn’t for the weak. I want to thank my family who has been my backbone through all of this. I love each and every one of you and know that you helped me to get to where I am today. I’m HEALTHY, HAPPY, and FREE! 

To my fellow warriors keep fighting, keep telling your stories, and most of all keep smiling!

-Shirlita Donald