Vinita O. - Diagnosed at age 13

I was diagnosed at the age of 13. My symptoms started with extreme hair loss and fatigue. At first my parents thought it was cancer. Living in Nigeria where there were limited rheumatologist made it all the more difficult to get a diagnosis. I battled with intense pain, muscle weakness, fatigue and loss of appetite for three months. I received a diagnosis three months after I started showing symptoms. I was in the 9th grade. 

I finally got a diagnosis and was put on a regimen that helped me live a semi normal life. Then at the age of 15, I was diagnosed with lupus cerebritis which kept me hospitalized for two months. The condition characterized of extreme paranoia, loss of memory, hallucinations, etc. 

I am living a relatively normal life, graduated college last year with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminal justice and a minor in psychology, victim studies and crime scene investigations.