It was at the young age of 12 that Heather started to experience a variety of seemingly unrelated health issues. First joint pain, particularly in her knees, ankles and elbows. Then came the rashes on her face and back, the hair loss, the fatigue, the sensitivity to light and the difficulty breathing. These symptoms baffled her medical team and lead them to refer to her as a “mystery person.” Her symptoms were difficult and draining to manage while she spent her young adolescent years living with this mystery. It would take many years, ER visits, missed family moments, and the birth of her son before Heather finally learned exactly what was causing her mysterious symptoms. Unbeknownst to Heather and her family, her symptoms were interconnected and all stemmed from one major autoimmune disorder: lupus. “I vividly remember the day I was diagnosed,” Heather tells AfroTech. “I was in bed [at home], struggling to breathe and [I] had a red, inflamed rash on my face. Being a single mother...