Doctors discovered I had a kidney problem when I was pregnant with my son at the age of 18. It was a rough pregnancy, and the final diagnosis came with a biopsy six months after I gave birth to a healthy baby boy – FSGS. I had no idea what that even was at the time.

The next few years were really hard, especially with a newborn. But I refused to let illness define or limit me. I started to improve a few years later and went back to school for two nursing degrees. With the help of my nephrologist, my kidneys are functioning wonderfully and everything that comes along with kidney disease is being maintained with medication. It was a blessing to be diagnosed when I was, and to be in that 50% of the population that doesn’t reach end stage at 10 years.

Help spread the word about FSGS and nephrotic syndrome. There are so many people that have still never heard of these diseases.