At Holy Name’s MS Center, stories of resilience unfold every day. One of the most inspiring comes from Digna Nunez and her son Yanni—two patients, one diagnosis, and a shared journey of strength, acceptance, and hope.
Digna was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 40 after experiencing frequent falls and memory lapses.
“I made a major mistake at work and forgot something really important,” the Kearny resident recalls. “That’s when I knew something was wrong.”
After seeing multiple specialists, it was a neurologist recommended by her mother who confirmed the diagnosis. Since 2008, Digna has been under the care of neurologist Mary Ann Picone, MD, at Holy Name. She began with injectable treatments and transitioned to Tysabri in 2010. Though MS has affected her mobility and ended her career, Digna’s outlook remains remarkably positive: “I realized my job wasn’t the most important thing—my life is. My son is.”
A Mother’s Worst Fear
Yanni was just 16 when he, too, was diagnosed with MS. It took six months of testing to confirm the diagnosis. During that time, the active high school soccer player was hospitalized, homeschooled, and became deeply depressed.
“On December 19, he was fine. On December 20—his birthday—he was paralyzed on his left side,” Digna says. “He didn’t want to eat. He kept to himself, and he didn’t want to hear about the outside world anymore. He even turned away from his faith.”
But everything changed when Yanni started working, landing a job in the physical therapy department at Holy Name. Now 25, he works directly with MS patients, offering encouragement rooted in his own lived experience.
“I love what I do,” Yanni says. “I’m staying active, walking 20,000 steps a day. I share my diagnosis with PT patients so they can see what’s possible. I’m not a regular person saying ‘do this.’ I know exactly what they are going through.”
Digna beams with pride. “He’s back to the person he was before. He met his girlfriend at work. He started seeing life differently.”
Outside of treatment, Digna has found joy in unexpected places. At Dr. Picone’s encouragement, she took up drawing—something she’d never done before. She also cooks traditional Honduran dishes, such as Montuca and oxtail stew, often teaching Yanni how to prepare them. She even participated in a clinical trial, motivated by Yanni’s diagnosis.
“I wanted to help find a new therapy for us. Well, mainly for him,” she shares. “I wanted to do what I could to try to help him.”
For the Nunez Family, MS is part of their story—but not their whole story. Both have found a way to turn their MS journeys into opportunities to spread positivity.
“The nurses at Holy Name tell me, ‘You’re always happy, always smiling.’ And I say, ‘I’m happy because I’m alive. Everyone should be happy that they woke up today.’”
