Lupus Fighter: Darial's Story "I Have Lupus, But Lupus Does Not Have Me"

Photography: Felecia Causey Hi. My name is Darial Smith. I guess my lupus would start the summer of 2014. I remember it just like it was yesterday. I was at cheer camp with my high school squad. We were on the campus of Auburn University going to the campus shop to get a snack before bed. When suddenly both of my knees went completely out. I fell and my teammates helped me get back to the dorm where we were staying for camp. When I returned home to Montgomery my mom decided that we needed to see a doctor. The first doctor told us my joints were aching because of cheer and that I was a natural growing teenager whose bones are growing faster than my body. At that point me and my mom decided to get a second opinion. The blood work was sent off by my old pediatrician and the results came back that I had been diagnosed with Lupus and Crippling Arthritis and they wanted to start chemotherapy immediately. For a moment, my world stopped, and I could see my mom get weak, my dad is full of anger