Shekita Green
Patient Leader, neuromyelitis-optica.netShekita Green is the mother of two teenagers and the wife of an Army veteran and entrepreneur. She also lives with neuromyelitis optica and alopecia areata. On February 12, 2020, Shekita became nauseated and experienced a migraine and pain in the back of her eyes. Two days later, she was in the ER. She found herself at several hospitals looking for answers. Over the course of almost 2 months, she endured a series of tests, bloodwork, scans, and more in an effort to find the source and cause of these mysterious symptoms. Shekita began to lose hope and found it difficult to deal with the anxiety of it all. She couldn’t see due to double vision, was suffering from severe nerve pain, and couldn’t eat, sleep, or walk. Finally, Shekita met with a neurologist and was given an MRI and spinal tap. After months of no answers, the doctor told Shekita, “you tested positive for the Aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibody. You have a rare disorder called NMO." She was devastated. With everything she had been through, trying to get a diagnosis and now knowing that she would live with a rare disease for the rest of her life, she saw the light for a new mission. Nowadays, Shekita uses her social media presence to build a robust support system and advocate for herself and others living with NMO. Her advice to anyone living with NMO is simply this: “You are not your NMOSD. Show ‘em who’s the boss.”