A Lupus Warriors Journey to Heart Surgery

At just fourteen years old Liliana was diagnosed with Lupus (SLE), an inflammatory disease caused when the immune system attacks its own tissues and organs, potentially effecting the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart, lungs, etc. In her case, she’s experienced every symptom under the sun imaginable and has continued to make every effort to persevere, but hasn’t had a chance to catch her breath in between hospitalizations, medication, finances and hardships. It would be every two months that she would flare up with chronic pain, blood clots, inflammation and other unknown side effects of the illness. Being a big question mark got extremely tiring, encouraging her to make the drive to shands and receive the true professional attention required to take that first step towards a successful health journey. There they discovered that the heart vegetation she experienced from the previous year had overtime caused thickening to the valve, allowing her heart to work at only a 50% capacity, leaking unwanted fluid into her lungs, as well as creating inflammation in areas of the lungs and heart that aren’t beneficial to her leading a healthy lifestyle. This would be known or recognized as endocarditis and pleurisy. Not only did they discover heart failure, but they also discovered through a kidney biopsy that she had accumulated a mild to moderate phase three lupus in her kidneys. She is expected to be treated aggressively with medicine to stabilize her condition, but will be needing a heart valve replacement and will be undergoing open heart surgery on July 1st at just twenty years old with hopes that this will be the break down before her break through. Her insurance only covers a shared cost of expenses, leaving her with the responsibility to pay a high percentage out of pocket for a variety of medication/injections and procedures/tests that is very difficult to juggle with the rest of the priorities she has aside from her medical life. Although the circumstances seem challenging, she is looking at this as an opportunity to gain more power to her testimony to help inspire other little girls around the world to keep going in the midst of despair. She believes that if she can face a time like this with resilience and grace? She can find the strength and will to overcome absolutely anything life feels the need to throw in her direction. She wants to spread love and positivity to her little lupus warriors feeling discouraged, insecure or less then who they are on the inside. She wants to advocate for them, reminding them that they are not defined by the restraints of their disease and shouldn’t be scared of what God already has control over. She hopes that one day she can make a difference in the community, spreading awareness, using herself as a flashlight to the truth of what it brings. She is determined and confident that this will be the surgery that allows her to take back control of her life. She is not ashamed to say that she is will be an overcomer and not a victim or prisoner of her illness anymore! It’s time to be the difference and give other people dealt the same card as her the fire they need to jump into action and love themselves for what they represent. Absolutely anything helps! If you can’t donate, please share. With the surgery being so close the anticipation and anxiety of this money being raised is stupendously high! Help us transform this into a movement of its own and use the power of social media to make the financial aspect to this journey the least of her concerns. Help us make magic fall into place and give her the chance to put her mind at rest to simply focus on taking her life back after six years of suffering. Be the difference in this fight and help us change the course of a dream driven, ambitious young lady!