In a story reported by WMAZ, a graduate student from Georgia College and State University is moving forwards with her life despite suffering a devastating case of Stevens Johnson Syndrome that started in January of 2014.

Stevens Johnson Syndrome (or SJS) is a rare drug reaction and autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder is a medical condition wherein the immune system goes haywire and attacks the body the same way it would attack invading germs or bacteria. In the case of SJS, the immune system attacks the largest organ of the body, the skin.

SJS symptoms start with vague, flu-like symptoms including muscle aches, fatigue, chills, and other generalized symptoms. But these symptoms rapidly escalates to a more serious skin rash. Even at this stage, SJS is often misdiagnosed as more common disorders, including chickenpox or other viruses that damage the skin. However, SJS rashes get more and more serious, cause blisters, sores, and even ulcers to break out over the skin.

Graduate Student Suffers SJS and TEN

In this SJS case, Khaliah S. suffered from Stevens Johnson Syndrome which escalated to an even more serious form of the disorder called Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis or TEN. In TEN, the damage to the skin is even more severe, covering over 30 percent of the body, and patches of skin die and slough off. This sloughing off of skin leaves the raw dermis, the deepest layer of skin, exposed to infection. The damage closely resembles thermal burns, and hospitals often have to treat SJS patients in their burn wards.

In Khaliah’s case, the first two medical centers where she sought treatment did not diagnose her SJS and TEN. It wasn’t until she was hospitalized at Atlanta’s Grady Memorial Hospital’s burn ward that she was properly diagnosed and treated for Stevens Johnson Syndrome. Even then, emergency medical care had to put her into medically-induced coma for five weeks to cope with the extreme pain and other SJS symptoms.

Khaliah is still undergoing physical therapy, but news reports indicate she has a largely positive outlook, and frequently jokes with her physical therapist. Khaliah’s mother started a blog, which Khaliah has since taken over, detailing her ordeal and recovery from Stevens Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis.

SJS and TEN Litigation

SJS and TEN are relatively hard to study. Despite this, it is known that the majority of SJS and TEN cases are caused by unusual allergic reaction to drugs. Even common drugs like Dilantin and antibiotics have allegedly caused SJS and TEN.

SJS lawsuits have been filed by patients who developed SJS and TEN after taking drugs like Dilantin. These SJS lawsuits may be filed against drug makers, alleging that the makers of drugs like Dilantin did not do enough to protect these patients and the general public from the risk of SJS. Other SJS lawsuits have been filed against hospitals and medical centers who failed to diagnose and treat SJS and TEN early, potentially worsening the condition.