This year, I'm dedicating my fundraising campaign to honor the life of Phylicia Jones.
Phylicia was a vibrant, smart, fun, family oriented young woman and dedicated to funding new treatments for lupus. Her sister, passed away from lupus 10 years. Last August, Phylicia entered the hospital with pneumonia and passed away from complications of lupus within a few days.
I had the honor of partnering with Phylicia in the San Francisco Walk market for 8 years. She was a fearless and passionate fundraiser and her family team, Team JMJ, raises over $20,000 each year to advance the mission of the LFA. The company that Phylicia worked for donated $35,000 to Team JMJ last year in Phylicia's memory.
Each time I see Phylicia's name in old emails or in a donor report, I still get tears in my eyes. She was that special. Phylicia's parents, Arnetta and Peter, have now lost two children to lupus. When I went to hug Arnetta at the Walk last year, she said, "This just isn't fair". No it's not. While many new drugs and treatments are under development, autoimmune diseases are still a cruel mystery.
I hope you'll consider a donation to support my efforts. Thank you and I'm grateful.
Love and in memory of Phylicia,
Joan and Nelson
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!