Jackie Brown knows lupus. She’s been coping with it for the past 27 years. But the diagnosis came as a complete surprise.

“I was in the hospital for two weeks with a bad kidney infection,” she recalls. “The doctor had given me antibiotics and I ended up having an allergic reaction. I was in the middle of my youngest daughter’s second-year birthday party when I got extremely ill.”

After being diagnosed with lupus Jackie remained hospitalized. “I asked my husband to bring me everything written regarding lupus,” she says, “so that I could understand this disease and what symptoms I was going to incur.”

Over the years those symptoms have included impaired vision, migraine headaches, severe inflammation and pain in her arms and legs, kidney issues, skin discoloration, rashes and bruising. Today she’s experiencing side effects from taking a corticosteroid to manage lupus for so long: high blood pressure, fragile skin, insomnia, a decrease in bone density, and cataracts.

Yet all along the journey, Jackie has faced each day with gladness. “Every day is a gift, a blessing from God. I’m extremely grateful!”