The story of Juanita
My name is Juanita and I am 21 years old. I was born in Colombia but now live in Canada. I was diagnosed with Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP) back in 2012 when I was 13 years old and still lived in Colombia. At the time I had never heard about this disease or anything related to it. It all started with what seemed like a bad flu until I started losing my breath and we decided to go to the hospital. After many moments of panic, of uncertainty and fear we were surrounded by the best team of doctors and nurses who took care of me and helped me come to the other side. Being a teenager and having to change so many things in my life at the time was one of the hardest things. Mainly finding someone who would understand how hard things were at the time. However, thanks to this I now have the dream of creating an organization to help others going through moments like the one I had to go through to show others that they are not alone and that someone can and does understand them. One of the most interesting things about this disease is how invisible it can be, how everything may seem perfectly fine on the outside but a completely different story on the inside. It has taught me that just because we don’t see it, does not mean it’s not there.Â
Even though I am ‘rare’, TTP has been, maybe ironically, the best thing that has happened to me. It has made me strong, passionate and a fighter for life and for what I love.Â