Someone asked me recently how to explain Neuromyletis Optica (NMO) to a child. Not an easy task, I can tell you from experience! When my daughter was diagnosed, she was 11 and her sister was 8. We explained that everyone has an immune system. Our immune systems are like the superheroes of our bodies. They fight off germs to help keep us from getting sick. For some reason, big sister's superheroes were confused. They were fighting too hard. They were attacking the germs, but they were also attacking her body too. Those crazy, confused superheroes! We talked about how our brains have these things like wires going through them. The wires have a special covering to protect them called myelin. The myelin is kind of like the protective covering we see on cords for things like our vacuum or lamps. For some reason, her superheroes were attacking the myelin covering on her wires. That meant that sometimes the message
My journey in learning about my daughter's rare autoimmune disease. I'm not a doctor and have no medical training. This is just the information that I have learned as a mom. Be sure to talk to your doctor about your medical questions and concerns.