How Rubies are Formed: The Overlap Between Sexual Violence Trauma and Autoimmunity

This thesis explores the relationship between sexual violence trauma and autoimmune disease in tandem with my probing of my relationship to my mother from childhood to adulthood. This work creatively extends upon the knowledge that approximately four-fifths of those afflicted by autoimmune diseases are women. The link between childhood trauma and the development of autoimmune disease has been identified but not fully fleshed out. Emerging research suggests that sexual violence, especially in early life, is a risk factor for autoimmunity. Much of the writing in this thesis is positioned around this information, as the protagonist seeks to make sense of both her mother’s pastand present. The text explores society’s role in preventing autoimmune diseases, and how sexual violence can change the literal expression of DNA. This thesis aims to creatively address this gap in understanding, with a mixture of short fiction, essay and poetry.

Department dc:contributor.department

English Language and Literature

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• Donnelly-Gilman, Meadow

Advisor dc:contributor.supervisor

• Humphreys, Helen

• Creative writing
• sexual violence
• autoimmunity
• trauma

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1974/36556

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:queensu.scholaris.ca:1974/36556