In early 2021, 35-year-old Nadia Reid went for an MRI in an attempt to diagnose an ear issue. She didn’t anticipate that the MRI would also show lesions on both hemispheres of her brain.
Brain lesions are a common indicator of multiple sclerosis (MS), but their existence alone isn’t grounds for a diagnosis. Nadia saw a general neurologist who wasn’t convinced that she had MS because she was young, healthy, and wasn’t demonstrating any symptoms. However, the doctor encouraged her to see a neurologist who specializes in MS to get another opinion.
It was the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and Nadia struggled to get a timely appointment with an MS specialist. But then, a chance meeting changed everything. Nadia’s sister met a stylist who dressed Holy Name patients for its annual Dress the Heroes magazine and told her about Nadia’s predicament. The stylist connected Nadia with Dr. Mary Ann Picone, Director of the MS Center at Holy Name.
Dr. Picone conducted a thorough evaluation to finalize the diagnosis, which included a spinal MRI that showed lesions on Nadia’s spine. Nadia was upset but had to rush out of the office to make it to a work meeting. Still, she remembers that Dr. Picone followed her and reassured her, saying: “Nadia, don’t worry. I’m going to look after you, and you’re going to be okay.”
Nadia and her husband were planning to have a third child in the future when she received her diagnosis. Dr. Picone told Nadia that they first needed to stabilize her condition, and then in two years they could revisit the idea of having more children.
In April 2021, Nadia began receiving infusion treatments at Holy Name every 28 days. She noticed relief from symptoms she hadn’t realized were associated with MS, such as chronic fatigue. She found Dr. Picone and the other professionals at Holy Name to be efficient and supportive.
“The team is just next-level,” Nadia said, “I think it’s hard to find a team and a doctor that are just so tightly knit and work around the clock.”
Nadia responded well to treatment, and in 2023 Dr. Picone told her it was safe for her to expand her family. Soon after, Nadia became pregnant. By then, she and her family had moved to Florida, but she still returned to New Jersey to meet with Dr. Picone throughout her pregnancy. Though she has now found a local MS specialist in case she has any urgent medical needs, she still considers Dr. Picone to be her primary MS neurologist. Her son was born on November 4, 2024, and mother and baby are happy and healthy. It’s in no small part thanks to Dr. Picone, Nadia says.
“[Dr. Picone] played a large role in maintaining my health, so our dream of having a third child came true,” Nadia said.
To book a consultation or appointment with Dr. Picone please call (201) 837-0727.
