Isabella Grace, or Izzy as she prefers, is an amazing source of inspiration for many. Diagnosed with systemic lupus at the age of seven, she learned the definition of chronic illness far too early. For Izzy, lupus means dealing with arthritis, fatigue, fevers, mouth sores, and muscle pain on a daily basis. Yet, she maintains a positive attitude, straight A’s in school, and even has smiles for strangers.

Neurology was added to her repertoire in April of 2011, when Izzy had her first complex partial seizure. Shortly after, we realized she was having seizures during sleep, and a diagnosis of Rolandic epilepsy was added. We started anti-seizure medication in August, and are determined to not let epilepsy define us!