"I'm grateful for Pequeno Príncipe for teaching me what is empathy"

Thaís Toledo was five years old when she began feeling pain all over her body. In the small city of Arapoti, in Paraná, where she lived, the doctors thought it was just growing pains. However, her clinical state got worse each day until the family moved to Curitiba in search of answers.

When she arrived at Pequeno Príncipe Hospital, she was diagnosed with linear scleroderma, a disease that causes fibrosis (hardening) of the skin and internal organs, compromises small blood vessels and forms antibodies against the organism's own structures. "It's a chronic illness that doesn't have a cure, but there is a treatment for it," shares Thaís.

She began to be monitored by Pequeno Príncipe's Rheumatology Service. During her stay, she underwent 16 surgeries and was hospitalized for long periods of time. She made friends, studied and was a part of some of the Institution's historic moments, such as the visit from Pelé, King of Soccer, for the inauguration of Pelé Pequeno Príncipe Research Institute.

Today, at 22 years old, her disease has been completely stabilized. "I have a normal life. I studied nursing as a form of gratitude, to give back to other people all of the love, care and empathy I received. I'm grateful for Pequeno Príncipe for teaching me what is empathy and for having taken care of me with so much affection," she stated.

Click here and learn more about Thaís' story of resilience.