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Our Kids - Meet Han

Han

Han, 15, Lupus

While away camping on a school trip, Han developed a high fever accompanied by the chills. Soon she started to lose mobility in her arms and legs. Thinking she caught a bug, she went home and rested. When her symptoms got worse, she knew something was wrong.

Han became so easily exhausted that she couldn’t even sit through an entire day of school. Her parents took her to a local doctor in Parry Sound to undergo some blood tests. These tests revealed her kidneys were in a compromised state. She sought further testing from a specialist in Sudbury who confirmed Han had Stage 4 or 5 Nephritis, an inflammation of the kidney and a sign of Lupus.

With a referral from her specialist, Han took a flight to Toronto to seek treatment at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). At SickKids, the staff confirmed the diagnosis of Lupus and discussed treatment options with Han and her parents. They learned that Lupus is an autoimmune disorder affecting organ systems, skin, joints and internal organs.

Due to the compromised state of Han’s kidneys, specialists at SickKids used medication and an IV to try and reduce the swelling. But when this didn’t work, they took more extreme measures and scheduled Han for dialysis. She endured 10 rounds of dialysis before the swelling began to subside.

Dialysis treatments and extensive physiotherapy allowed Han’s condition to improve. She spent three months at SickKids under the watchful eyes of its medical professionals. Today, Han feels much better. Her lupus is in remission but she must take daily medications, maintain a very strict diet and avoid stress.

Han has a passion for music and writing. While in hospital, she kept a diary of her experience and even created a video so that she could update her friends at home on her progress. Han’s video provides a glimpse into her time in hospital. You can see that despite her illness, Han is a bright and articulate young lady. She is looking forward to getting back to school and catching up on missed time with family and friends.

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