14th Annual Flight of the Butterflies- Butterflies of Hope Lupus Warrior Stories is a powerful celebration of strength, survival, and spirit. Through the eyes and hearts of lupus warriors, we share stories that often go unseen. Stories of pain, resilience, and triumph! These butterflies may have been battered by the storm, but they continue to rise, wings open, ready to soar.
At Lupus In Color, we honor each journey as a flight of courage and beauty, reminding the world that even in the midst of lupus, warriors still fly.
Flight of the Butterflies
Lupus Warrior Jasmine Cox
I was diagnosed last year in April 2025.
I went undiagnosed for months but my body was speaking to me and I wasn’t listening. I was normally and busy body and didn’t sit down much so in the midst of me having active flares I was completely unaware of , I kept pushing my body. I went to multiple urgent cares and hospitals to figure it out but I was hit with pneumonia or bronchitis my voice was gone for several months with no real explanation.
During my active flares I was unaware that my face swelled up and I went to the 3rd hospital within a few months, found out I contracted Covid.
While waiting to hear back from a doctor, an infectious disease doctor stops in to talk to me about my Covid symptoms and sees my face and instantly says “you have lupus” she goes on to say her sister has lupus and she recognizes the rash on my face. I’m stunned, but she goes back and checks my bloodwork from the other hospitals and the autoimmune test I took before leaving 2nd hospital. She confirms my diagnosis, but I’m in shock and also relief that it is a name to the symptoms I’ve been experiencing for months.
I get through my week at the hospital and she prescribed medication (hydroxychloroquine) and tells me she recommends I stay at the hospital because I was in an active and aggressive flare. I didn’t listen, I hadn’t seen my sons and it was my oldest birthday and 5th grade graduation, I had to be there. Well, I made to the birthday but I missed my son’s 5th grade camp send off and graduation, I had a stroke at home and wasn’t eating just sleeping and I hadn’t told my family and friends quite yet about my lupus, so I had no one to help.
My ex-husband was coming to get the kids and noticed I wasn’t well, I was incoherent but still had enough strength to argue with him about not going back to the hospital. I was carried out in a stretcher in front of my boys. I spent the 1st 3 days in the ICU and had a total of 3 strokes in 30 days. I was at this hospital, lupus was in my brain and the doctors and specialists were scared I wasn’t going to make it and they considered a medically induced coma or transfer to UCLA for more treatment because my lupus was fighting all the medications. Finally, my family agreed on the immunotherapy (chemo) options and started the infusions. I came back to myself and my family and friends, nurses and doctors were telling me how bad it was and I couldn’t talk for a week I was so overwhelmed.
But after another 3 weeks of physical therapy I was able to walk again and go home to my babies. My life took a full 360 and I’m grateful to God I am still here, I have way more understanding and have made changes to adjust to my new normal. I was left with permanent nerve damage on my left side of my body, I lost my hair an have head sores, blood clot control so I am on a blood thinner medication and blood pressure medication for control of my heart beating irregularly.
6 doctors that I see constantly and 9 medications daily to suppress my lupus. I reached a year of being diagnosed with Lupus on April 27th. My family and friends, co-workers, my new boyfriend all have been by my side throughout my journey and I am so blessed to have that support and love. They will be wearing purple every year going forward to show support and solidarity for lupus awareness!
If I could give advice to someone newly diagnosed I would say, listen to your body and rest, stay connected to your doctors, ask questions and protect your peace it’s critical to your mental health.
Lupus In Color Salutes you !
YOU ARE BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, AMAZING and STRONG TO SHARE YOUR STORY.
YOUR BUTTERFLY WINGS ARE FLUTTERING, YOUR CHIN IS UP, YOUR ARMS ARE EXTENDED AND YOUR CHEST IS OUT! FLY ON BUTTERFLY!
FLY ON!
PLEASE SHARE THIS FLIGHT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA AND START THE BUTTERFLY JOURNEY SPREADING LUPUS AWARENESS!
#lupusincolor #flightofthebutterflies #lupuswarriors #butterfliesofhope
