Ali Guthy:
Neuromyelitis optica, NMO, is such a rare disease that seven years ago, a Google search would have yielded almost no results. Maybe a few obscure and terrifying accounts of a mysterious illness thought to be an extreme variant of multiple sclerosis. Today, we know it’s a rare autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system, which attacks the optic nerves and spinal cord. It can appear and relapse without warning leading to temporary or permanent blindness, paralysis, or even worse. The keys to solving NMO are in our hands. The foundation has committed millions of dollars and thousands of hours to bringing us this far. We’re at the threshold of rewriting the future for all those who now and one day will be impacted by autoimmune diseases. I’m Ali Guthy and I have NMO. I’m still here on this journey, and I’m inviting you to join me in our mission to improve the lives of autoimmune patients around the world.
