Today we speak with Joy Philips. Joy has a passion for dance and theatre, so much so that she had crafted her vision of her future around this passion and pursued it at the prestigious Randolph College For The Performing Arts in Toronto. However, being diagnosed with Lupus and confronted with the symptoms of the disease, Joy found herself having to pivot from the path of her dreams to something else.

Recognizing her innate ability to research her own diagnosis, as well as her curiosity about seemingly all things medical, Joy leveraged her Lupus diagnosis into a powerful motivator to alter her career path toward science and indeed medicine. Joy returned to school after having been diagnosed. She attend the University of Toronto and studied in Biology and Bioethics. Joy currently works as part of a dedicated team at The Hospital For Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, studying metabolism.

Join us as we talk about what making that academic and career pivot was like, and how attending university for a second time, but now with Lupus, altered her path forward.

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**Reminder, Lupus Ontario cannot offer medical advice, but may be able to offer resources to help you better engage in your care.