Courage to Care — Candice Galvan

Summer is one of my favorite times of the year. The days are longer, the adventures seem endless, and the smell of barbecue, flowers, and freshly cut grass fill the air. However, high temperatures during the summer, especially in tropical climates, can pose a challenge for those with neuromyelitis…

Caring for our mental health and pursuing wellness require a lifetime commitment and hard work. It’s sometimes easier said than done, but taking a moment to yourself to reflect on the day, or on a feeling or emotion, can do wonders for your mental health, especially when living with chronic…

Let’s talk about sleep. Sleep is essential for everyone, as it allows our bodies to rest and recharge, especially after a long day. According to the Mayo Clinic, adults need seven or more hours of sleep each night, while the recommended amount of sleep for teenagers like my 14-year-old…

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, many of us across the country have been doing everything we can to protect those around us and ourselves. I still remember when a federal mask mandate on public transportation was issued in the U.S. at the start of…

March 25 was a day I won’t soon forget. My 13-year-old daughter, Bella, and I jetted off to Boston to attend The Sumaira Foundation’s 5th Annual NMO Awareness Gala at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel the following day. The trip took a few years of planning and preparation, including surviving…

People say that dogs are man’s best friend. In our family, Roxy, our 3-year-old Australian ridgeback rescue, is my 13-year-old daughter Bella’s best friend. Bella has always loved animals, which thankfully runs in the family. When she was hospitalized in 2017 due to a major neuromyelitis optica attack, she…

A chronic illness diagnosis can be stressful, overwhelming, and scary, especially when the illness is rare and has no cure. When my daughter Bella was diagnosed with neuromyelitis optica (NMO) in 2017 at age 9, we were instructed by her doctors to spend one hour online learning everything we could…

Today begins NMOSD Awareness Month, and to say that I have been busy preparing is an understatement. During the past month, in a push to have NMOSD Awareness Month recognized in all 50 U.S. states, I have applied for proclamations in my home state of Colorado, as well as…

At first glance, many might say that our family appears totally healthy. However, my daughter Bella, 13, fights neuromyelitis optica (NMO) every day, and despite being her caregiver, I have health issues of my own. When Bella got sick in August 2017, I was almost done with the classes…

During the six weeks that my daughter Bella, 13, was hospitalized at Children’s Hospital Colorado for a neuromyelitis optica (NMO) attack in 2017, my husband and I kept vigil at her bedside. Too worried to sleep, we prayed for a miracle every night. As soon as we received Bella’s…

After experiencing all of the challenges that came with my 13-year-old daughter Bella’s neuromyelitis optica (NMO) diagnosis and the rareness of the disease, I wanted to find a way to connect with other NMO patients and caregivers. Bella was so young that I felt I needed the connections to…

Some people are natural-born performers, leaders, artists, lawyers, doctors, or teachers. I like to say I was born to be a caregiver. Some of my first memories are watching over my younger sister and cousins while we were growing up. I like to think that caregiving is something that runs…