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TONI TIARA SPENCE
In December 2015, Toni had just turned 18, a senior in high school and preparing to attend college at the University of South Florida to pursue her dream of becoming a cardiologist. Approximately a week after her birthday, December 13, she noticed a significant amount of weight loss. She lost her desire to eat, something she loved to do previously, and the weight was continuing to drop. Later in the month, she had severe muscle and joint pain. Toni began the search for answers to her abrupt arthritis-like symptoms. An appointment was scheduled with her doctor who requested blood tests for auto-immune disorders.
Toni began having other symptoms including chest pains and migraines, so, she visited numerous doctors one for each symptom. Later, it was apparent that she needed a specialist. It took months to receive an appointment with a Rheumatologist. Once the doctor reviewed all the test results and assessed her symptoms, it was confirmed that she had lupus.
After the diagnosis, Toni had a difficult time trying to manage high school and all of her extracurricular activities. She was an honor student: taking college classes, and studying to become a certified nursing assistant (CNA). Additionally, she was an athlete, the senior class vice-president, and a volunteer in the community. Toni knew that she would have to manage her schedule even more because of the flare-ups.
After Toni started college, numerous hours were spent searching for information and support for recently diagnosed people like her, especially college students. So, in late 2016, she and her mom began organizing the Toni Heart Foundation. A few months later……….
It was Toni’s passion to support others through education about lupus and being heart healthy, create tools to organize treatment plans, provide resources for health and nutrition, and create a gateway for those with lupus to communicate and fight for a cure.
Let’s continue to keep Toni’s vision alive.