THE MICHIGAN LUPUS FOUNDATION HONORS LUPUS AWARENESS MONTH
(Michigan – May 1, 2024) – The Michigan Lupus Foundation is celebrating Lupus Awareness Month during the month of May in the United States, an entire month dedicated to raising awareness for this incurable, debilitating disease. It is estimated around 14,000 Michiganders suffer from lupus and between 322,000 to 1 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with a form of lupus. The Michigan Lupus Foundation hosts events and special initiatives throughout the month of May to help raise awareness about the physical, emotional, and financial impact of lupus. Spreading awareness provides support, resources and advocacy for people fighting the disease.
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own healthy tissues and organs. It can affect any part of the body causing widespread pain and inflammation. People with lupus often suffer from joint pain, extreme fatigue and organ damage. Diagnosing lupus can take 2-6 years on average per patient since it can often mimic other diseases and there is not one conclusive test. Fundraising for lupus is necessary to drive research initiatives and provide support and services to those who need it. The MI Lupus Foundation provides resources for patients, caregivers and healthcare providers.
“I’ve been officially diagnosed with lupus for almost 20 years,” Kimberly Dimond, MI Lupus Foundation Executive Director, said. “Over the course of the past two decades, my lupus has ranged from a mild inconvenience to life-threatening and severe. Every day I experience extreme fatigue, exhaustion and chronic pain with varying degrees of headaches, insomnia, joint inflammation and bruising. I’ve had inflammation of the lungs, heart, kidneys, ligaments, spinal cord and abdominal organs, and the associated conditions of fibromyalgia, Raynaud’s phenomenon and Sjogren's syndrome, as many patients have in connection with lupus.”
“Lupus Awareness Month is a time to put a spotlight on what it’s like to live with a chronic illness and raise awareness, provide support, advocate for change and research for a cure,” Dimond said. “I’ve been a fierce advocate for lupus awareness to improve the quality of life for those of us living with lupus, develop better treatment options and improve understanding of the disease.”
The MI Lupus Foundation is launching the “Real Hope for a Bright Tomorrow” campaign during the month of May to help raise awareness, advocate for change and fight for a cure. Michiganders are encouraged to help raise awareness in the following ways:
Support upcoming special events.
Wear purple and tag us on social media, especially World Lupus Day on May 10th. Use hashtags #WorldLupusDay and #MILupus.
Contact local newspaper and media stations to share your story.
Help advocate for a meaningful change.
Share information about lupus on social media, in your community and with family and friends. Download the Lupus Awareness Month toolkit to make digital sharing easy.
Contact info@milupus.org for interview opportunities throughout the month and additional ways to help get involved.
About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own healthy tissues and organs. It can affect any part of the body causing widespread pain and inflammation. Common symptoms include crippling fatigue, fever and joint pain. Lupus affects each person differently and may go into periods of flares and remissions. More people have lupus than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia, and cystic fibrosis combined. It is estimated that between 322,000 and 1.5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease. Lupus primarily affects young women between the ages of 15-45 years old and occurs more frequently in women of African American, Hispanic, or Asian descent. There is currently no cure for lupus.
About the MI Lupus Foundation
The MI Lupus Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that exists to improve the quality of life for those living with lupus through support, education and research with the goal of finding a cure. The foundation provides financial and informational resources for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The MI Lupus Foundation has been continually serving Michigan and northern Indiana since 1974 and is working to build a brighter future for all lupus patients and their families. For more information, visit http://milupus.org.
To download a pdf of this press release, click here.
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