From the moment I could speak, I was singing. My passion for music blossomed at just five years old, and by the age of fifteen, I was singing professionally.
There was something magical about the way music flowed through me, and it became the lens through which I viewed the world.
In January 2023, I released my debut album, Sweeter Than Honey – a milestone that was a dream come true, years in the making. I poured everything I had into that project, and it felt like the start of an incredible new chapter.
But not long after the release, I began to notice something strange. It started with my eye. Around March 2023, I began to feel a subtle, odd sensation in one of them… something wasn’t quite right.
At first, I brushed it off as nothing too serious. I visited an eye doctor, who, after a quick exam, dismissed it as a minor issue, telling me, “If it gets worse, come back.” I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as weeks went on, I started feeling weaker. The fatigue was unexplainable, and my body just didn’t feel like it was working the way it used to.
I decided to see my general doctor, who thought it might be a simple issue and gave me a steroid shot to help with inflammation. That should’ve been the fix… but it wasn’t. I noticed more changes. My voice began to fade. The control I had over my vocal range slipped away, and soon I could feel my once vibrant voice growing weaker.
Then, one day, I looked in the mirror and realized I couldn’t smile. It felt like my face was heavy, like a weight I couldn’t shake. That’s when I knew something was very wrong. I went to a neurologist, hopeful for some answers, but his response was reassuring in the wrong way: “You’re fine. There’s nothing to worry about.”
But as the days went on, the symptoms worsened. My vision doubled, which was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. The world around me seemed to distort and blur. It was hard to focus, and even harder to function in everyday life. At that point, I went back to the same eye doctor, who could see that things had taken a turn for the worse. He was the first to suggest I see a neurologist immediately, urging me not to wait any longer.
The next day, I saw a new neurologist, and within minutes of examining me, he diagnosed me with myasthenia gravis. It was a relief, in a way, to finally have a name for what was happening to me, but it also hit me like a ton of bricks. I was shaken, overwhelmed by the reality that this wasn’t something I could just power through.
My journey toward treatment began right away. The neurologist prescribed Mestinon and prednisone. For a while, it helped. There was a noticeable improvement, though not enough to give me the freedom I had once felt. My voice returned slightly, my muscles became a bit stronger, but I was still struggling. The fight wasn’t over.
In July 2023, my doctor suggested I try infusions of a monoclonal antibody. It was a big decision, but I was ready to do whatever it took to feel like myself again. After my first infusion, I started to notice the changes. The fatigue lessened. My strength came back. My voice grew steadier, my smile returned, and my face felt lighter… almost like it had been freed from the weight that had been pressing on it.
Now, as I reflect on everything, I’m grateful. Grateful for the diagnosis that gave me clarity. Grateful for the doctors who finally listened and guided me toward healing. Grateful for the treatments that, after months of uncertainty, gave me my life back.
Today, I’m back to singing, back to the stage, and back to living a life I love. I’m no longer bound by the limitations of myasthenia gravis. It’s been a journey, and while I still have my moments, I’ve come out on the other side stronger than I ever imagined. I’m more than just a survivor of this condition. I’m thriving, and I know the best is still yet to come.
