We hope you'll join us and Band Together for Lupus™ to raise awareness and educate
others about lupus this May during Lupus Awareness Month. Wear your purple wristband and encourage others to show their
support. If you don't have one, you can get them here.
The Lupus Foundation of America has estimated that 80 percent
of the public know little or nothing about lupus. A shocking statistic when you consider the impact lupus has on the lives of 1.5
million Americans and more than five million people worldwide. Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of
the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six
weeks and often for many years. With lupus, something goes very wrong with your immune system. Together, we can change that, but
we can't do it without you. No one knows what causes lupus. Scientists think that people are born with the genes to develop lupus
and that something brings on or "triggers" the disease and symptoms. However, a combination of genetics (heredity), environment,
and hormones is involved.
More education and awareness of lupus can lead to earlier diagnosis, more resources to help those
affected by lupus, and more dollars to fund lupus research. But we can’t do it alone; that’s why we need to work together. Just
think of the impact we could make if everyone with a connection to lupus informed 10 people about the disease!
Are You In the Band?
