Briana Donis, 19, has an extremely rare (and deadly) disease called aplastic anemia: she has had an unsuccessful bone marrow transplant, currently has no white blood cells in her body, and has been forced to live in isolation because her immune system is so weak.
But Briana doesn't want the world to define her by all of those things. Instead, she chooses to inspire people through her Instagram account by sharing something with them every single day: yoga. The strong teenager posts a photo of herself doing a different yoga pose every day — despite doctors' orders — accompanied by an inspiring caption. She told BuzzFeed Life in an interview, "I like yoga because it challenges the inner me and the physical me. I started it because it was a challenge that I knew if I put my mind to it, I could do it. It wasn't the kind of exercise I was used to. It was more personal. It was my own journey and not just a physical one."
As you can see from her smiling photos, Briana hasn't stopped fighting. She has a second bone marrow transplant scheduled for later this month, and her family continues to raise funds to go toward the costs associated with Briana's care.
"Didn't get so far with this one and was painful to hold!! Gots lots of stretching to do," said Briana. That looks pretty impressive to us!
"Took a million tries to get this one but after some breathing and connecting with my body, I was able to connect," she said in the caption.
#LetsGETFlexyIn2015, she's always saying.
Even when by herself, she manages to strike a yoga pose and take a picture.
"Aplastic anemia is not me, but my enemy," Briana told BuzzFeed Life. "I want people to be aware of this rare monster and how it has the capabilities of turning someone's life completely upside down. It doesn't have to be a negative turn around, though. I am grateful for my enemy, as he reminds me just how strong I really am."