Significant dates in Lucky Sands' life

*Timeline compiled from family and soldier recollections of events. The Department of Defense has not sent requested information on Sgt. Lucky Sands' military record.

Aug. 2, 1964

Born in Colombo, the industrial hub of Sri Lanka.

1971-1985

Attends Ladies College, a private Christian school for girls, and Visakha Vidyalaya, a private secondary school, in Colombo.

1986

Moves to Cape Girardeau to attend Southeast Missouri State University. Graduates in 1990 with a degree in business administration, and a couple years later with a degree in economics. Takes a position in the university's library.

1989

Marries fellow student Mark Johnson. The couple later divorces.

1990

Becomes a U.S. citizen.

March 4, 1997

Daughter, Ceylon, is born.

Circa 1999

Enlists in Missouri Army National Guard in Cape Girardeau (record could not be confirmed).

2001

Joins the U.S. Army Reserve 348th Engineer Company in Cape Girardeau.

September 2003

Marries Steve Sands.

December 2003

Unit is deployed for service in Iraq.

January 2004-February 2005

Serves at Logistics Base Seitz near the Abu Ghraib neighborhood in Iraq. Gunner on Humvee for transport and security missions. Injured during combat.

February 2005

Returns home, suffering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. Eventually diagnosed with PTSD. Steve and Lucky divorce later that year. August 2005 begins treatment at Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Cape Girardeau for abdominal pain, itchy eyes, rash and symptoms related to PTSD, VA officials say.

2006

Serves with Reserve unit on a humanitarian mission to El Salvador. She becomes seriously ill. Returns home for treatment. Health begins to deteriorate.

2007

Seeks medical treatment at John J. Pershing Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Mo. Hair falling out, there are lesions on her skin and she loses weight. Diagnosis is unclear, friends and family say. Seeks full VA disability compensation without success. Lives on food stamps and daughter's college education fund, friends and family say.

2008

Treated as inpatient at St. Louis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, John Cochran Division. In January, VA doctor says, physicians are "reasonably certain" Lucky has lupus. Treatment delayed, VA says, for fear soldier has infection. Begins treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Wears wigs to cover hair loss. Continues losing weight and is easily winded. There are skin lesions on face and hands. VA says Lucky receives 100 percent disability compensation in August; family members dispute that, say she did not receive the payments until mid-2009.

2009

Continues treatment at Walter Reed. Requires oxygen, given morphine for pain. In August, her condition is critical. Fellow soldier says she appears as if she is "rotting from the inside out."

November 2009

Comes home to Cape Girardeau saying medical staff at Walter Reed is doing nothing for her. Spends last Christmas with family, friends.

January 2010

Driven back to Walter Reed by father, and friend Paul Mingus. Condition worsening.

Feb. 12, 2010

Taken to VA medical center in Washington, D.C. Doctors say nothing can be done. The city is digging out from record snowfall.

Feb. 16, 2010

Lucky Lakmini Sands dies at the Washington, D.C., Veterans Affairs Medical Center, at the age of 45. Death certificate notes lupus as cause of death. Buried at Missouri State Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield.