At just 17 years old, Tonaly was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a condition that kept her in the hospital for almost three months. The pain was constant and unbearable, sometimes for days at a time, and it was difficult for Tonaly to find ways to cope with it. Then she met Lisa, the Child Life Specialist assigned to her unit in Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Lisa taught Tonaly techniques to deal with her pain and was there supporting her every step of her treatment, which has included three surgeries. Thanks to the treatment she received at Nicklaus Children’s, Tonaly no longer experiences the strong pains she once did, and with the help of Lisa, she developed the strength to face her condition head-on.
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