Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Antonette Currie

The lupus community includes people living with lupus, friends, family and supporters across Georgia. For Lupus Awareness Month, we would like to highlight some of our lupus heroes and champions. 

Antonette Currie

Imagine waking up one day, getting dressed and beginning to do your hair and it falls out into the palms of your hands. It was a rude awakening for me. I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2007. Upon losing a significant amount of my hair, I was also diagnosed with alopecia areata, osteoarthritis in my knees, erythema nodosum and lupus Panniculitis. For two years, I went through a deep depression. Not knowing what's going on with my body, my hair was continuing to fall out and my body aches continued to spread from head to toe. I had no idea what lupus was... nor what osteoarthritis was.

I thought I was too young... too healthy...
How could this be? What is it?
And why?

While dealing with lupus, other health issues came along throughout the years. In 2013, I developed lupus panniculitis which scarred up my face and had me in the hospital for two weeks. 

Just recently, I was hospitalized a month for PE (pulmonary embolism or lung clot). During my stay in the hospital, I had to get two blood transfusions and caught the flu. 

In spite of it all, I am a strong woman! Along the way I have learned that I may have lupus BUT lupus doesn't have me!!!! My mission is to continue to motivate, encourage and inspire others while spreading lupus awareness. 

- Antonette Currie