A Mother’s Lupus Story: Carolina and Luca’s Journey
A Mother’s Story with Lupus: Carolina and Luca’s Journey
This is a mother’s lupus story about strength, resilience, and love.
A Sudden Change
Carolina Tekiel’s life forever changed when her fifteen-year-old son, Luca, was diagnosed with lupus in the summer of 2024. Her son’s childhood was a happy, healthy and active one.
A big soccer family, the Mizrach’s moved from Argentina to Canada in 2011. They settled down in Vancouver, B.C., where Luca grew up playing the sport completely.
He was a bit smaller than the other kids in his grade, but his health was not a concern.
“He was playing like nothing was wrong,” says Carolina.
Things remained this way for a while until 2023, when Luca struggled to gain weight and grow. Although his family is genetically very petite, it became more noticeable the longer time went on that something might be wrong.
“He was seeing a pediatrician, an endocrinologist and a genetic specialist,” says Carolina. “But, nothing seemed to help. Nobody had an answer.”
From a Soccer Match to a Diagnosis
Things turned for the worse that summer when Luca played in a soccer competition.
“He was in the sun all day,” she says. “And we thought maybe he had a sunburn. But, he felt very sick.”
Luca was admitted to the BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, where he received immediate testing and treatment.
“They had him do blood work, and the results were not good,” says Carolina.
The doctors kept their suspicions about any diagnosis to themselves. As they did not want to alarm Carolina. But after a few more rounds of testing, Luca was officially diagnosed with lupus.
“I didn’t even know what it was. I had never heard of lupus before,” she says. “The burn turned out to be the butterfly rash.”
Right away, Luca was referred to a rheumatologist and multiple specialists at the hospital. Together, they worked on a treatment plan for Luca.
“We are so lucky,” says Carolina. “They really care about my son, and they have helped him so much.”
Treatment and Progress
Carolina dove into research right away, as many parents do when their child is diagnosed with an illness, and was understandably overwhelmed and scared. Despite this, she was relieved to have some sort of explanation for Luca’s health. Since his diagnosis, Luca has been treated with Prednisone, MMF, Enalapril and Plaquenil.
“There has been such an improvement,” explains Carolina. “Luca has gained his strength and weight back. Before, he had so much inflammation in his body that it was eating all his calories.”
Carolina feels incredibly fortunate that Luca received such wonderful treatment at the BC Children’s Hospital. She is aware that for many individuals with lupus, the path to treatment can be a long and painful one.
“He had some flare-ups with his kidneys,” says Carolina. “But he is doing well…If anybody can handle this, it is him. He is so resilient. He is a fighter.”
Sharing a Mother’s Lupus Story to Inspire Others
As a parent, Carolina wants others to know they are not alone in their struggles.
“I went to every appointment. But, I didn’t understand what was wrong,” she says.
As a mother, Carolina’s experience is not an uncommon one. She encourages those parents who may need someone to talk with to reach out.
“Other parents can always connect with me,” she says. “You are not alone.”
Bringing Awareness to Boys with Lupus
Through this journey, Luca has been experiencing feelings of isolation as he noticed that lupus is common in women. Lupus is indeed more prevalent in women, however, there are approximately 5,000 men in Canada diagnosed with the disease.
Luca may feel like the only boy who has lupus, but he surely is not. It is important to Carolina that more awareness is brought to men and boys experiencing loneliness and isolation due to lupus.
“This can happen to boys, too,” says Carolina. “It’s just not as often.”
She hopes more support groups will be available to boys with autoimmune conditions in the future.
Finding Strength as a Family
As Mother’s Day approaches, Carolina reflects on the life she has built in Vancouver.
Luca continues to play competitive soccer and receives a ton of support from his teammates and peers. “They don’t totally understand lupus,” says Carolina. “But they are there for him.”
Her husband, Roger, coaches soccer with Luca, and the two stay very active together.
“I am so lucky to have my daughters, too.” They are very supportive of Luca and always cheer him on.
Carolina explains that lupus does not impact the one diagnosed, but also the entire family. Her family and Luca remain strong despite the ups and downs lupus brings.
“We are so blessed.”
Let's Talk Lupus: Conversations with Macenzie
Each month, Let’s Talk Lupus: Conversations with Macenzie brings you inspiring stories from Canadians living with lupus. Through these interviews, Macenzie, a Toronto-based journalist and writer diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) in 2017, shines a light on the experiences, challenges, and triumphs of those navigating life with lupus.
If you’d like to share your story, please email ariana.ranjbar@lupuscanada.org.
Explore More Support from Lupus Canada
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Learning to Live Well With Lupus– People living with lupus often need to adapt to complicated medical regimens to control symptoms and prevent disease flares. Making gradual and achievable lifestyle adjustments can help improve quality of life and provide a sense of well-being.
- National & Provincial Support – Access a network of resources and services available across Canada.
- BC Children’s Hospital: Thanks to excellent care at BC Children’s Hospital, Luca’s treatment journey began with strong support.