Girl With Terminal Illness Fights Back With Yoga
Meet the Inspiring Teen Who Does a Yoga Pose a Day Despite Rare Disease
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.
Briana Has No Problems Balancing in Extended Hand to Toe Pose
Her Lateral Split Is Also Pretty Great
She Is Always Pushing Herself
She Doesn't Give Up Until She Hits Her Goal
She's Insanely Flexible
She Inspires Others With Videos
This One Is Called Karnapidasana, or "Ear Pressure Pose"
She Can Even Hold a Straight Handstand
She Always Lets Her Cheerful Spirit Shine Through
She Reminds Us That Our Struggles Don't Define Us
