For someone battling a life-threatening illness, being surrounded by loved ones can be a source of strength and recovery.
But for Johanna Watkins, a Minnesota woman locked in a desperate struggle for survival, being close to others is not an option.
Watkins suffers from a particularly brutal strain of mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), a rare immunological condition in which the body overproduces the chemicals responsible for controlling allergic reactions. The symptoms and triggers vary by patient, but range from typical allergic reactions to more serious and debilitating responses such as anaphylactic shock.
