Hello Friends and Family,

As you may know, I am 23 years old and I am in nursing school working on my BSN with a minor in gerontology. I have one year left! I currently work as a nursing assistant in an ICU and I absolutely love all the experiences. I adore helping people and I have noticed that I love to surround myself with the same type of people. 

I was recently diagnosed with Lupus and it’s scary, but at least now I am able to put a name to all my horrible symptoms from over the years. Along with Lupus, I have Hashimoto's, and together they are exhausting. The fatigue that I experience every day is unreal. I can try to explain how difficult it is to get out of bed or how I would do anything for 10 more minutes of energy, but Lupus is invisible and difficult to understand. Besides the fatigue, Lupus affects myself and others a handful of other ways as well such as sun sensitivity, digestive health, heart, kidney, and liver function, and mental health. I am participating in this walk to bring awareness and fund research so others can have hope as well. 

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!