SUPERPOWER: Resilience
National Ambassador, Lupus Foundation of America
As a teenager, Dana Taylor began experiencing health issues, but at that time, very little was understood about lupus and how it can present. While her primary care physician suspected it was at the root of her troubles, as an otherwise healthy-looking teenage girl, Taylor was unable to get an official diagnosis. It was only at the age of 35, after years of pursuing answers, that she was formally diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus.
Post-diagnosis, she realized how limited resources for lupus patients were in West Virginia, so she stepped up to become an advocate for lupus awareness and a passionate volunteer for the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA), eventually being chosen as a National Ambassador for the LFA and representing West Virginia in Washington, D.C. It was the first time the Mountain State had ever sent someone. She laughs recalling that, when she first saw her delegation’s guest division, it was titled “DMV” for Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, and she had to add it herself. “West Virginia was not even on the radar, so just receiving that kind of acknowledgment for West Virginia is a moment I’m proud of.”
A pageant participant for years, Taylor has used her platform, various crowns, and pageant-refined speaking skills to share information about the disease, which has long been difficult to diagnose and treat, leading to then–Governor Jim Justice proclaiming May as Lupus Awareness Month in West Virginia.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and their animals on their rescue farm. “Emotional support animals are one of the best healing measures,” says Taylor, who has a background in mental health support. One of her goals is for people diagnosed with lupus and other diseases to be able to take advantage of the animals on her farm to find comfort and peace, “just giving someone else the opportunity to come relax and feel safe.”
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Since 2014 WV Living magazine has been honoring West Virginia Wonder Women, amazing women who are raising the bar in their communities, serving as beacons of light in their industries, and forcing change for the greater good. WV Living is proud to celebrate these Appalachian mothers, millennials, and mavens proving that in a time full of uncertainty, divisiveness, and hate, love for one another is all we really need. No need for bulletproof bracelets or a golden lasso of truth—these women are creating a better West Virginia with their can-do attitudes and Mountain State spirit.
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