Maya; she/her; Ankylosing Spondylitis, Berger's Disease, Lupus
Ankylosing spondylitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that mainly affects the spine and can cause pain, stiffness, and joint fusion. Symptoms include back pain and stiffness, fatigue, and joint pain and swelling. It affects 0.5% to 1.5% of the population.
Berger's disease is a chronic kidney disease characterized by inflammation and damage to the kidneys over time, which can result in kidney failure. The symptoms of Berger's disease may include blood in the urine, swelling in the hands, feet, and face, and high blood pressure. It is estimated to affect about 0.5 to 1.0 per 10,000 people worldwide.
Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can attack different areas of the body. Symptoms can include fatigue, joint pain, fever, rash, etc, and are typically chronic but worsen during "flare-ups". Although it is incurable there is medication that can be helpful for some. 1.5 Americans are thought to have lupus.
This was an unusual commission as it was kept a surprise from the subject. I listened to recordings of the subject talking about her conditions and talked to the commissioner to come up with this depiction of the overwhelm the subject was experiencing from dealing with so many chronic conditions at such a young age.