Today we’d like to introduce you to Shanara Green.
So, before we jump into specific questions about what you do, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
On August 29th, 2014, my life took a turn for the worst. I was diagnosed with Steven Johnson Syndrome after having a severe allergic reaction to an antibiotic called Bactrim. SJS is a very rare skin and autoimmune disease which resulted in me being placed in an induced coma for about a month and was hospitalized for a total of three months. During my time in the hospital, I was placed in the burn unit, the burn unit because the way that SJS works, I was burning from the inside and then it reached the surface of my skin. By the time the reaction surfaced, it looks like I had been thrown in a pit of fire. I was put on life support, eyelids began to melt together, feeding tube was placed into my stomach due to the inside of my mouth being burned, trachea was put in my throat to connect to my life support machine, every inch of my skin formed painful blisters and I had to wait till all the blisters was fully formed before operation could be done. On operation day, I had a total of 60% of my skin removed and was given a skin graph, because of the skin removal, I was placed into an induced coma and family was told I had about a 20% chance at life due to no one else surviving. Three persons before me came into that same hospital due to the same antibiotic and yet they did not survive. I was a very sensitive case to the hospital because my body rejected all forms of medications while in the coma so basically the doctors had to sit and wait to see if I would survive.
I guess God wanted all the glory to himself, lol.
During my hospital stay, I was given heavy narcotics, I mean the best of the best they were doping me up making sure I didn’t feel the slightest bit of pain. Nearly three whole months on heavy narcotics can produce an accidental addiction. I began to notice that on that 4th hour, I NEEDED some more pain meds because my body would start aching something terrible to the point where I was in full tears. Then, it clicked Shanara your addicted to these medications. That same day, I denied all forms of medication, I didn’t even want a Tylenol. My whole mindset was I’m not leaving this hospital with anything I didn’t come in with. Because I was refusing medications and food about two weeks later, I was removed from the burn ICU with one on one nurse care to the regular ICU unit with not much nurse care. And then, finally released a week after that. Fast forward five years later, I created a beauty brand called Addicted To Shanara’s Collection. In my collection, you will find a lot of my products are named after narcotics some are the narcotics I was given and addicted to others because why not, lol, they are just as catchy names and go with the flow of my brand. Within my brand, I sell lashes, lips gloss, and other options but mainly all my lash products are named after narcotics or something addictive.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I’m fairly new to the game and just starting out, the only advice I can give is to just make that 1st step. Take that leap of faith and just go for it. No one said you had to come out swinging, it’s ok to start off small and then gradually build an empire.
What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a company? What sets you apart from others?
I am most known for being a plus-size model. I started with Donya Manning from The goddess of Curves to learn the professionalism of the model world and how to start and then Donya introduced me to MsNickee who is my fab runway coach. I originally started modeling with a purpose to bring more awareness about Steven Johnson syndrome and how to be aware of all the signs of it. I’m also bringing awareness to SJS with my products. By naming my lashes hydro, short for hydrocodone, oxy and cocaine, it brings up a conversation why and I can spread awareness.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My parents and especially grandparents were go-getters. They didn’t believe in sitting around waiting for someone to hand them something they would create something out of nothing and make things happen. Like for instance, my grandfather never had a set job to clock in yet he was always working, would create jobs and get people to pay for it, lol. So, it’s the little things like that, that always taught me to strap my boots uptight and keep moving and create something big for yourself nothing comes easy.
Contact Info:
- Website: Addictedtoshanaracollection.com
- Phone: +1 (786) 309-6862
- Email: addictedtoshanarascollection@gmail.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/addictedtoshanaracollection
- Facebook: Facebook.com/addictedtoshanaracollection
- Other: Instagram.com/shanaraglo
Image Credit:
Celine Manning
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