Social Media can introduce you to so many people! I have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful Lupus Warriors and this Warrior right here, is simply amazing!
It is my honor to introduce #teamangelslupusjourney to Daphne.
“My name is Daphne Ryan Stribling . I am from New Jersey. At the age of 16 I was diagnosed with Lupus. Which rocked my entire world because I was an active high school student who was on the cheerleading team, loved to hang out with my friends and I had a job afterschool.”
Do you recognize the similarity here with my story????
“All these things slowly stopped due to low energy, fatigue and my joints started to cause me pain. My mother took me to our local doctor’s and they said they couldn’t find anything and I was just depressed.”
Unfortunately, a lot of us were misdiagnosed prior to being diagnosed with Lupus. It is also common for doctors to confuse our chronic fatigue with depression. It’s so sad, but so true.
“One night I had a fever, slept all day, couldn’t eat anything and I was in so much pain. My mom packed a bag for me and took me to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A week later I was diagnosed with Lupus SLE.
I remember them checking me from head to toe. I remember coming home on tons of meds, not being able to sleep for days at a time and gaining so much weight.”
This is the reality that a lot of people don’t realize. Lupus affects every last part of your body and your life. Weight gain or loss is a battle that is so hard and people don’t realize it is a part of the Lupus journey.
“Then life changed again. I got pregnant a year later, got married and we were blessed with 2 healthy babies. When my youngest was about 1 years old, I started having blood pressure issues. They couldn’t control it so they did a kidney biopsy which showed lots of scarring so I was put on chemotherapy for 6 months. It didn’t help so I was then put on dialysis. Dialysis prolonged my life, but it is something I would never get used to. I was on it for 3 years. I then received a kidney from my mom and that was one of the best gifts in the world.
The kidney lasted for 7 years, then failed. I was then put back on dialysis. In 2018 I received another kidney from a young person who passed away in a car accident and in the midst of all this I lost my only 2 sisters.”
I can’t imagine how much all of the stress Daphne faced during this timeframe, negatively affected her health. It has been proven that stress leads to major flares.
She goes on, “In Sept 2013, My older sister Danielle Renee Gladden went home to be with the Lord after being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 18 yrs. old. She passed at the age of 35 and doctors told us she had lupus.
My younger sister Deadra Ryan Gladden went home to be with the Lord in Janhart of 2016. Deadra was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 14 yrs old and passed at age 29.”
I imagine Daphne saying that she had to do something. This disease had taken her sister’s lives and she herself was fighting for her life.
Daphne proclaims, “With the help of my family, in May 2016 we started a Lupus Foundation called Beautiful Butterflies Rock Lupus Foundation in honor of my 2 sisters who have earned their crown in heaven due to Lupus. Since starting the foundation we have had our 1st, 2nd & 3rd Annual Jump 4 Life Double Dutch fundraisers here in Willingboro, NJ. We have also held our 1st Annual Walk 4 Life lupus walk in Westampton, NJ. At all of our events one of our major goals is to bring awareness to our community about what lupus really is and how it affects women, men and children daily.
Our mission is to EMPOWER, EDUCATE, and ENHANCE the lives of those living with an auto immune disease such as lupus.”
Daphne has had many accomplishments as an advocate. Here are just a few.
She tells me, “In June 2016, PARC Magazine wrote an article about my story…Living with Lupus. In April 2018 I was honored at the 6th Annual Phenomenal Women Banquet for being an Advocate in Willingboro, NJ.
Today I hold the title of CEO & Founder of Beautiful Butterflies Rock Lupus Foundation.”
She shares, “Having lupus and seeing what it did to my sisters played a huge part in inspiring me to live a healthier lifestyle. I hope to inspire others to do the same despite their challenges. Although my life has had many obstacles, I am still determined and inspired to spread awareness, serve our communities and help make our world healthier.”
Wow! What an inspiration you are Daphne!
Daphne also has Royalty Womb Boutique and Spa.
Royalty Womb Boutique and Spa is an online shopping boutique offering women natural womb care products as well as mobile services. They educate women and girls on the importance of healthy products for menstruation while offering healthy solutions to apply that will produce healthier lifestyles! Their goal is to create a ” loving me from within” culture.
To follow Daphne’s journey please see the links below. Thank you Daphne for sharing your story with me! Please know that #teamangelslupusjourney is supporting and cheering you on! Thank you for all you do for the Lupus Community and May God continue to bless and keep you.
Websites:
http://www.royaltywombboutique.jewelpads.com
Email:
BeautifulButterfliesRock@gmail.com
Royaltywombboutique@gmail.com
Social media:
@beautifulbutterfliesrock
@IamDaphneRyan
@royaltywombboutique
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Angel’s Lupus Journey 