Monika Davis used to run half-marathons, but when she was 46 she began losing strength. Walking half a block was difficult, and carrying a bag became too much. Within a month she was diagnosed with what is now called immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM), a form of myositis. Her muscle strength continued to deteriorate, and she ended up being hospitalized for 45 days while providers tried multiple treatments to stabilize her. She only started improving after a year in a wheelchair.
Will you help people like Monika find support when their lives are turned upside down?
During this time, Monika was hard at work determining how to approach life with this condition. She was grateful to find The Myositis Association (TMA) and its science-based resources to help her understand what was going on in her body. She and a caregiver attended the TMA conference later that year. “I didn’t know anyone who had this disease. I was so relieved to see people living full lives despite having myositis.”
Monika appreciated the trusted experts she found at the conference and how much she learned from them. She also valued meeting other women of color there, who not only understood her experience with the disease but shared other experiences with her. “I have become really good friends with TMA members over the years.”
Please make a gift to TMA today to help people support each other and cope.
“It’s hard to have an invisible disease,” Monika said. “Most people in my life don’t see the struggles I experience every day. My TMA friends really understand this.” Monika also values TMA connecting her with people conducting research so she can share her experience with experts. “TMA makes me feel like I have a voice.”
Thank you for your generosity and being a vital part of our community during Myositis Awareness Month!
