My name is Tamara. In 2002, I was diagnosed with ITP. At that time, I didn’t understand why my body decided to become a “battlefield” and why it would want to attack my platelets. The Department of Hematology and Oncology became my second home.

For me, the hospital was always a nightmare. At times, it interrupted the momentum that I tried to maintain at university. I felt angry and bitter yet determined to graduate and become a teacher. I love my job because it allows me to work with people and express myself. It’s challenging and hard, but nothing could be much harder than my ITP journey. It was very difficult to come to terms with oneself in a situation such as mine. The anger, bitterness, self-pity, and even lack of self-esteem must be overcome if I am to live a normal fulfilled life.

I came close to death, although I didn't know it at that time, but I could only imagine how my parents must've felt when the doctor told them about my case. Because of their love, each time that I became sick, I became more determined to fight even harder.

And here we are in 2024!

I don’t know what the future holds for me. My physical and emotional health are closely intertwined; my mental attitude highly contributes toward maintaining my health. Life has become very important to me because of this, so have people and my friends.