May Is Lupus Awareness Month. Here’s How You Can Help the Cause in Philly

May is Lupus Awareness Month – and the Lupus Foundation needs your help to raise awareness and rally public support for a world without lupus! Lupus is an often misunderstood, chronic (long-term) autoimmune disease that ravages different parts of the body, causing the immune system to attack healthy tissue. Symptoms can be severe, highly unpredictable, cause debilitating pain to many parts of the body, and can damage any organ or tissue, from the skin or joints to the kidneys, heart or lungs. Over 60,000 people in the Philadelphia tri-state region alone are affected by lupus.

The Lupus Foundation of America, Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter, is devoted to solving the cruel mystery of lupus while providing caring support to those who suffer from its brutal impact. With the help of informed volunteers, lupus medical experts, and committed and caring supporters, they:

• Support research and conduct education programs so everyone affected by lupus can have an improved quality of life

• Provide information to ensure people with lupus and their families get answers and health professionals know about new means to diagnose and manage the disease

• Conduct activities to increase awareness of lupus, rally public support for those who are affected by lupus, and advocate on their behalf

Public awareness of lupus remains low. About 67 percent of the public knows little or nothing about the disease beyond the name. The Lupus Foundation needs your help to change that. May 10 is World Lupus Day and Put On Purple Day – join the growing number of communities that proudly go purple!

Visit the Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter’s website at lupustristate.org to find additional resources and more information about how you can get involved!

This is a paid partnership between Lupus Foundation of America and Philadelphia Magazine