At 19, Misturah Abisola Owolabi was full of life. Like any other diligent 300-level university student, she was preparing for her exams, looking forward to her final year at the University of Lagos, while aiming for a first-class degree.
However, her life took an unexpected turn when her health began to decline. She experienced a range of troubling symptoms, including hair loss, chronic fatigue, body pain, and swollen eyes and face.
After undergoing numerous tests and treatments, she received a diagnosis that was unfamiliar to her and her family: Lupus.
The Lagos State Teaching Hospital in Ikeja soon became her second home, and taking various medications became a daily routine. She felt hopeless, facing a disease with no cure, only manageable through ongoing treatments.
One day, an encounter with a nine-year-old boy in her ward, who was also suffering from Lupus, changed her perspective. Despite being bedridden and experiencing more severe symptoms, he optimistically talked about his futu…
