Juana Mata was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in April 2009. In May 2009 she ended up in the hospital with  a variety of symptoms and was sent home with a diagnosis of anxiety because she insisted that something was wrong. She refused to go home unless she had testing done, after the testing was completed, She was admitted to ICU with platelet count of 2,000 (normal is 150,000-450,000), she was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia and systemic lupus. If she would have gone home that day she would have died. She was scared and knew very little about Lupus, she wanted to learn, and empower others about self advocacy.