Helayne Shaw

Meet Helayne Shaw from Walled Lake, MI. Helayne has been battling lupus for 17 years.

Helayne’s Story:

My journey began 6 years before diagnosis when I thought I had a pulled muscle in my back. It turned out to be suspicious on a PET scan but inconclusive and later diagnosed as a lung mass. They knew it was autoimmune, but it didn’t equal any particular one. I was sent to the Mayo Clinic and had many other medical oddities until one day I felt like I had been hit by a freight train. My bloodwork was screaming autoimmune. I was sent to a rheumatologist who diagnosed me with SLE, Fibromyalgia, Thyroid Disease, Raynauds and more. I have since added Sjogrens and Multifocal Motor Neuropathy.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone who is newly diagnosed?: Don’t let your Lupus define you. Lupus is different in everybody.

What is one misconception you wish you could change about lupus?: Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.

What brings you joy?: Being outdoors, my husband and our golden retrievers.

Anything else that you would like to add?: Some days are hard. Try and stay positive and focus on what you can do rather than what you can’t. Stay strong and keep up the good fight!