Hi! My name is Katalja. I am a single mama to the LIGHT of my life, my son Avery. He is the reason I fight. I have beat cancer and pray for the day I can “beat” lupus, too. I have suffered with Lupus for, what I believe, most of my life, but no one could ever figure out what was wrong with me. The journey to the diagnosis is half the battle. The other half, is fighting it after recieveing that diagnosis. 

For many years I spent weeks at a time in the hospital, with flare ups that I was convinced was going to take my life. My Lupus attacks my kidneys, primarily, along with every joint, causes debilitating migraines, severe weakness/fatigue, exhaustion that can not even be adequately described…among other daily symptoms. My team tried numerous different methods/treatments/meds to keep my flare ups at bay…right now (and for the past 5yrs) my current regimen is chemo once a week and another immunosuppressant every two weeks. It has helped keep me out of the hospital! But, it has its own nasty side effects. 

All this to say….lupus SUCKS. It has kept me from being the energetic mom I have DREAMED of being, it’s taken away my ability to carry another baby (if you know me, this is the most soul crushing part of this entire journey), it has come eerily close to taking my life. I never want anyone else to go through this. No human should have to. There HAS to be more awareness. More research. More answers. Better treatments. A CURE. So please, please help us to fight for that cure! We can all be apart of the change we want to see. 

I am joining thousands of people across the country for the Walk to End Lupus Now®. I hope that you will join me either by lacing up your sneakers or by donating to my fundraising page.

You can make a difference by donating to help me reach my personal fundraising goal and support the Foundation's efforts to improve the quality of life for all people affected by lupus! A generous contribution of $25 or $55 can make a definite impact. What’s more, if your employer offers a Matching Gift Program to employees, you may be able to double your contribution with just a little bit of paperwork. Trust me, it’s worth the effort! Every single dollar counts.

Did you know?

Lupus is a mysterious and misunderstood autoimmune disease. It strikes without warning, affects each person differently, and has no known causes or cure.

Lupus symptoms can be severe and highly unpredictable and can damage any organ or tissue, from the skin or joints to the heart or kidneys.

While lupus can strike anyone at any time, 90% of people living with lupus are women. Women of color are at especially high risk.

Lupus is hard to diagnose, but the Lupus Foundation of America is working to make life easier and more comfortable for the estimated 1.5 million people living with lupus in the United States.  Together, we can solve the cruel mystery of lupus. Thank you for your generosity! 

Xx Katalja