Annie & Tom Advance in the TODAY Show "Race to the Altar." Place Your Votes Now!!

Annie and Tom of Chicago, Illinois are one step closer to winning the NBC TODAY Show's annual "Race to the Altar." The competition is now down to three couples who seek to be married in June on the plaza outside the TODAY Show studio in New York. Your vote today can help Annie and Tom get married live on national television.

The Lupus Foundation of America is supporting Annie and Tom's efforts to be selected as this year's winning couple. Annie has had to live with not only the physical challenges of lupus but also cope with the emotional toll that lupus can take on individuals and families affected by this serious and life-changing disease.

The deadline for voting in the next round is Noon Eastern time on Monday, June 2. Your votes for Annie and Tom are critically important as the competition heats up!

Rally your friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors -- anyone you can -- to join you in this national effort to bring lupus to the forefront and help Annie and Tom have a wedding that they, and the entire lupus community, will never forget.

Vote now for Annie and Tom through the TODAY website
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24596237/

You also can vote for Annie and Tom AGAIN (and AGAIN) by texting the number "3" to 46833.

Read their profile page:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24485029/

Visit Annie and Tom's webpage:
http://www.annietom.com/

Meet all of the couples competing in the 2008 "Race to the Altar":
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24583045/

The Lupus Foundation of America thanks you for helping Annie and Tom win the 2008 "Race to the Altar."

Help Create a National Lupus Awareness Campaign

You may already have heard that the Advertising Council -- the organization which created such pop culture icons as McGruff the Crime Dog, the Crash Test Dummies, and Smokey the Bear -- has been contracted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Office on Women's Health to develop a public awareness campaign about lupus.

This is your opportunity to play an important role by helping to create this campaign which will debut later this year.

The lupus awareness campaign will include messages for radio and television stations, newspapers, magazines, transit, outdoor and the Internet. When launched later this year, the campaign will increase public understanding of lupus, its symptoms and consequences.

Lupus Foundation of America public opinion polls reveal that only one in five Americans knows about lupus. And even those who say they know something about the disease often do not fully understand its impact on individuals and families. Here's how you can help increase awareness of this terrible disease and generate more public support for lupus research and support services.

Volunteers needed!

The staff of Muse Communications, the award-winning advertising agency that will produce the campaign, is looking for volunteers -- people with lupus -- to keep a journal for two weeks, describing what it is like to live every day with lupus. Volunteers will record in their journals all of the challenges they face in living and coping with the disease.

Muse staff will review all of the journals and -- here's the best part -- several will be selected for use in the campaign. If your journal is selected, you could appear in the campaign as a spokesperson for lupus awareness to help put a face on the disease.

Here's what to do to obtain your journal!

Fill out this online form. Within a couple of days, you will receive your journal. Write in it every day, recording your activities and emotions. Then send it back, along with your picture, to the address provided.

While only a few journals will be featured in the campaign, every journal submitted helps the people of Muse develop effective advertising messages that will educate the public about lupus.

We really need your participation. Everyone with lupus -- more than 1.5 million Americans -- will benefit from the additional support and resources this campaign will generate for lupus. Please request your journal right now.

Annie & Tom Make It To The Next Round on TODAY Show's "Race To The Altar"

Hi everyone ... a couple of quick things to share.

TODAY Show "Race to the Altar" Update: Annie & Tom advance in the competition

Moments ago, Annie and Tom of Chicago, Illinois made it through the second elimination! That means they will continue to the next round of competition on the NBC TODAY Show’s annual "Race to the Altar."

Vote for Annie and Tom:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24596237/

Read their profile page:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24485029/

Visit Annie and Tom’s webpage:
http://www.annietom.com/

View all of the couples competing in the TODAY Show's "Race to the Altar:"
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24501223#24501223

The Lupus Foundation of America thanks you for helping Annie and Tom try to win the 2008 "Race to the Altar."

Medication Management & Lupus Webchat Today at 3 p.m. Eastern

Reminder: At 3 p.m. Eastern this afternoon, Dr. Joan T. Merrill, the Medical Director of the Lupus Foundation of America, will serve as the guest expert for the Medication Management & Lupus chat.

We certainly hope you can join us Wednesday afternoon. To do so, you can log in to the live chat here.

Until next time, Wick

Medication Management & Lupus -- the Wed., May 28 Webchat at the Lupus Foundation of America

Morning all.

Wanted to give you a reminder about the Lupus Foundation of America's Webchat this Wednesday afternoon, May 28, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

Dr. Joan T. Merrill, the Medical Director of the Lupus Foundation of America, will serve as the guest expert for the Medication Management & Lupus chat.

Joan T. Merrill, M.D., is currently Head of the Clinical Pharmacology Research Program at Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), OMRF Professor of Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University in New York City. She received her medical training at Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY, followed by an internship and residency at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, a fellowship in rheumatology at NYU Medical Center and a basic research fellowship in the Department of Pediatrics at Columbia University.

Dr. Merrill’s research focus is the study of genetics and pathophysiology relevant to atherosclerosis risk in lupus and antiphospholipid syndrome, for which she has received multiple foundation and NIH grants. She has numerous publications in journals such as the Journal of Immunology, the Journal of Clinical Rheumatology, and the New England Journal of Medicine. She is a sought-after speaker at clinical symposia both nationally and internationally.

Dr. Merrill is a member of the Lupus Foundation of America’s Medical Scientific Advisory Council. She is the co-chair of the American College of Rheumatology’s Study Group and member of the Food and Drug Administration’s Arthritis Drugs Advisory Committee, in addition to many other active professional appointments.

We certainly hope you can join us Wednesday afternoon. To do so, you can log in to the live chat here.

After the chat, you are invited to continue the discussion in our message boards.

As always, copies of all chat transcripts are posted online within a day or 2 of the chat. Visit here to read the LFA's previous chat transcripts.

New York City Walk for Lupus Now Event a Huge Success, Raises Awareness & Support for Local Programs

Morning everyone ...

Before I jump into lupus news, I wanted to quickly wish everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. I am Orlando-bound and will spend the next few days hanging with my nephews! I cannot wait, as I have learned some "knock knock" jokes to share with them.

And, to our friends from around the world who read this, have a great weekend.

Until next time, Wick

New York City Walk for Lupus Now Event a Huge Success, Raises Awareness & Support for Local Programs

NEW YORK, NY – Almost 1000 people living with lupus, their families, and supporters participated in the inaugural Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) Walk for Lupus Now® walk at Robert Wagner Park - Battery Park on Sunday, May 18. The NYC Walk for Lupus Now® was a huge success, and is part of a much larger national public awareness and fund-raising effort. Almost 60 Walk for Lupus Now® events will take place across the country in 2008, and are expected to raise $3 million.

Watch video highlights of the inaugural NYC Walk for Lupus Now.

LFA President and CEO Sandra C. Raymond encouraged and motivated the crowd by sharing the important work being done by the LFA, and described how the funds the walkers worked so hard to raise will be used to help people with lupus and their families living within the New York City metropolitan area, and how those funds will also support medical research on lupus.

Then, under a beautiful morning, participants began the walk, which gave them a breathtaking view of the Statue of Liberty and took them on a scenic walk through Battery Park. People with lupus walked, holding beautiful butterflies, and also wore placards that indicated in whose honor they were walking.

There were numerous sponsors of the 2008 New York City Walk for Lupus Now®, including Carol's Daughter, an NYC-based hair and body care products company whose founder and CEO, Lisa Price, lost her mother to a lupus-like disorder. Carol’s Daughter is a year-long corporate partner of the Lupus Foundation of America, and is working to bring national attention and resources to fight lupus.

Photo: Team Captain Erin Murray shows support for a young friend living with lupus.

Lupus Community Rallies Behind Annie & Tom on TODAY Show "Race to the Altar"

Annie and Tom of Chicago, Illinois made it through the first elimination round this week and will continue to the next round of competition on the NBC TODAY Show’s annual "Race to the Altar." Your vote today can help Annie and Tom get married live on the show in June.

The couple also was the winner of this week’s wedding challenge. They raised more than $323 for charity in 15 minutes by selling cupcakes to the crowd on the plaza outside the TODAY studios. As this week’s winning couple, they were able to select the wedding cake.

Annie was diagnosed with lupus when she was 17. After she was diagnosed, Annie feared that no one would ever be able to love her completely for who she was as a person. Yet it was her chronic disease that gave Annie an inner strength and drive to succeed, all qualities that to this day Tom constantly admires about her.

The Lupus Foundation of America is supporting their efforts to be selected as this year’s winning couple. Annie’s fears are shared by many of the 1.5 million Americans with lupus who often have to battle not only the physical burdens of the disease but also the emotional toll that a chronic and unpredictable disease like lupus can extract.

The deadline for voting in the next round is Noon on Monday, May 26. Urge your family and friends to join you in this national effort to bring lupus to the forefront and help Annie and Tom have a wedding they and the entire lupus community will never forget.

Vote for Annie and Tom:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24596237/

You also can vote AGAIN by texting to 46833 and voting for couple number 4, Annie & Tom.

Read their profile page:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24485029/

Visit Annie and Tom’s webpage:
http://www.annietom.com/

View all of the couples competing in the TODAY Show's "Race to the Altar:"
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24501223#24501223

The Lupus Foundation of America thanks you for helping Annie and Tom try to win the 2008 "Race to the Altar."

Lupus Now Magazine Needs Your Help!

When you have an unpredictable disease like lupus, it can be comforting to know that vast stores of medical information and people who really get what you’re going through are just a couple of mouse clicks away on the Web.

In the "Opining Online" column in the Fall 2008 issue of Lupus Now, we want to print your answers to this question:

"What's the best advice you can give a person with lupus who’s applying for SSDI benefits?"

Email your response to LupusNow@lupus.org. Make sure your answer is 30 words or less. Please include your first name and last name in the email, and write "Advice for SSDI Benefits" in the subject line of your email. We'll print as many of the responses as we can.

Your deadline is July 15!

Lupus Blog Spotlight: Laughing with Mr. Lupus

Hi everyone.

Wanted to remind you that Noon today is the deadline for voting for Annie and Tom, a couple from Chicago, Illinois who are competing in the NBC TODAY Show's annual "Race to the Altar." Your vote can help Annie and Tom get married live on the show in June.

Vote for Annie and Tom:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24596237/

Read their profile page:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24485029/

Visit Annie and Tom’s webpage:
http://www.annietom.com/

View all of the couples competing in the TODAY Show's "Race to the Altar:"
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24501223#24501223

Lupus Blog Spotlight

Finally, I would like to turn your attention to another lupus blog. It is called Laughing with Mr. Lupus. The blogger is Carole. Let me share a little bit about her with you.

Carole is a marketing professional living and working in London. Her philosophy in life is simple ... she thinks of life as great adventure and she's an intrepid explorer. Carole has been living with the challenges of lupus for the past five years. In particular, she has found that laughter and being able to have a positive outlook is better than any course of steroids.

If you have a few moments, swing by Laughing with Mr. Lupus and say hi to Carole.

Until next time, Wick

Fiancée with Lupus in TODAY Show Wedding Contest

Annie and Tom from Chicago, Illinois are one of five couples competing in the NBC TODAY Show's annual "Race to the Altar." Your vote today can help Annie and Tom get married live on the show in June.

Annie was diagnosed with lupus when she was 17. After she was diagnosed, Annie feared that no one would ever be able to love her completely for who she was as a person. Yet it was her chronic disease that gave Annie an inner strength and drive to succeed, all qualities that to this day Tom constantly admires about her.

Help Annie and Tom be selected as this year’s TODAY Show wedding couple by voting for Annie and Tom. The deadline for this round of voting is 12 p.m. Eastern Time this coming Monday, May 19.

Vote for Annie and Tom:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24596237/

Read their profile page:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/24485029/

Visit Annie and Tom’s webpage:
http://www.annietom.com/

View all of the couples competing in the TODAY Show's "Race to the Altar:"
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/24501223#24501223

The Lupus Foundation of America thanks you for helping Annie and Tom try to win the 2008 "Race to the Altar."

Lupus News to Note

Hey everyone ...

Have a busy day planned here today. So before I jump into it, I wanted to share with you some lupus news to note.

Transcript from Wed.'s chat posted online

Wanted to thank everyone who attended Wednesday chat on "Being Newly Diagnosed with Lupus." It went really well. The transcript from that chat has now been posted online. You can read it here.

Help the LFA Improve Its Webchats -- Take This Survey!

With just a few moments of your time, you can help the LFA improve its Webchats. We'd like to have your feedback: what's working, what could be better, and more.

Take the survey now!

Walk for Lupus Now

LFA's Walk season is well underway. Money raised from Walk for Lupus Now Walks will support lupus research, lupus education programs, and patient and family support services. Here are some Walks taking place this weekend.

Hot Springs, AR -- Saturday, May 17, 2008
St. Petersburg, FL -- Saturday, May 17, 2008
Oklahoma City, OK -- Saturday, May 17, 2008
New York City, NY -- Sunday, May 18, 2008

LFA Message Boards Reach Milestone

As of this morning, there are 1001 registered users for the LFA Message Boards. Get in on the action! Join the message boards here.

That's all the scoop from my end. I hope you have a great weekend.

Until next time, Wick

Join the Lupus Foundation of America's Webchat Today at 3 p.m. Eastern, Then Take The Discussion To Our Message Boards

Morning everyone ...

Wanted to share a few things with you.

Webchat Today at 3 p.m. Eastern

As a reminder, today at 3 p.m. Eastern is the "Being Newly Diagnosed with Lupus" Webchat, hosted by guest expert Dr. Don Thomas. We hope you can join us.

As always, copies of all chat transcripts are posted online within a day or 2 of the chat. Visit here to read the LFA's previous chat transcripts.


Help the LFA Improve Its Webchats -- Take This Survey!

Whether or not you have attended one of our chats, we would love to know your thoughts! With just a few moments of your time, you can help the LFA improve its Webchats. We'd like to have your feedback: what's working, what could be better, and more.

Take the survey now!


LFA Message Boards

As of this morning, there are 986 registered users for the LFA Message Boards. Get in on the action! Join the message boards here.


LFA Partners with CaringBridge

The LFA wants to help you stay in touch with family members and friends. Now, in partnership with CaringBridge, you can stay connected with your personal and private journal, guestbook and photo album -- all in one place -- using CaringBridge’s personalized website design.

It’s easy to set up your own website -- simply visit http://www.caringbridge.org/lupus and follow the simple steps.


Until next time, Wick

MSNBC Debuts a New Series Called "Medical Mysteries"; Lupus is Featured First.

Robert Bazell, NBC News Chief science correspondent, debuted a new series on Monday, May 12, called "Medical Mysteries," the focus of which is autoimmune diseases. Lupus was the first autoimmune disease to be featured.

Read Robert Bazell’s piece here. In this piece, the Lupus Foundation of America's Website, lupus.org, was recognized as "an excellent source of information."

Watch MSNBC’s 2 minute video clip, featuring Jennifer Pearce, a person living with lupus.

Being Newly Diagnosed with Lupus -- the Wed., May 14 Webchat at the Lupus Foundation of America

Morning all.

Wanted to give you a reminder about the Lupus Foundation of America's Webchat this Wednesday afternoon, May 14, at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.

Dr. Don Thomas, who practices rheumatology with Arthritis and Pain Associates of Prince George's County in Maryland, will serve as the guest expert for the Being Newly Diagnosed with Lupus chat.

Dr. Thomas is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both rheumatology and internal medicine, and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians (FACP) and an active Fellow Member of the American College of Rheumatology (FACR). He is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and he actively teaches courses in rheumatology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Dr. Thomas also actively serves as a member of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of the Lupus Foundation of America, Greater Washington Chapter.

Dr. Thomas graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate from George Military College in 1981 with an A.S. and then from the University of Houston in 1985 with his B.S. in Biology. In 1989, he received his M.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He completed his residency training in internal medicine at Brooke Army Medical Center in 1993 and his fellowship in rheumatology at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1995, after which he stayed on as a member of the teaching staff until he joined Arthritis and Pain Associates. He is an active member of the D.C. Rheumatism Society, the American College of Physicians, the American College of Rheumatology, and the American Medical Association.

Dr. Thomas's awards include the AMA's Physician Recognition Award from 2000 - 2006, and the AMA’s Physician Recognition Award with Commendation from 2007 to the present. He is rated as one of America’s Top Physicians by the Consumers’ Research Council of America from 2004 - 2007 in the specialty of rheumatology.

We certainly hope you can join us Wednesday afternoon. To do so, you can log in to the live chat here.

After the chat, you are invited to continue the discussion in our message boards.

As always, copies of all chat transcripts are posted online within a day or 2 of the chat. Visit here to read the LFA's previous chat transcripts.

Lupus Foundation of America Awards Gala Raises Nearly $1.5 Million for Lupus Research & Education Programs

Good morning everyone ...

Well, last night was a great evening. The LFA's Annual Awards Gala went superbly, and raised almost $1.5 million for lupus research and education programs. I am going to share the press release with you below.

Wishing you a fantastic day, wherever you are.

Until next time, Wick

Patti LaBelle Wows Crowd at 5th Annual Lupus Foundation of America Awards Gala

Grammy Award-winning performer Patti LaBelle entertained a crowd of 600 here at the annual Lupus Foundation of American Awards Gala last night with her signature passion and distinctive high-octave vocals. The awards gala raised nearly $1.5 million to support lupus research and education programs, which benefit the millions of people who suffer from lupus and the families who support them.

CNN Anchor and Special Correspondent Soledad O’Brien served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Gala, which honored U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, (D-Iowa); Sheila C. Johnson, CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC; and Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D., President of Research and Development, Executive Vice President, and Chief Scientific Officer of Bristol-Myers Squibb. The honorees were recognized for their efforts to bring national attention and resources to lupus, a devastating and life-threatening disease that affects more than 1.5 million Americans and five million people worldwide.

Dr. Gary Gilkeson, Chair of the LFA Medical-Scientific Advisory Council, announced the establishment of the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research Program, funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation and dedicated to unlocking the mysteries of pediatric lupus. The research initiative is named in memory of Michael Jon Barlin, who at age twenty-four lost his courageous ten year battle with lupus. As the first and only initiative of its kind, the Michael Jon Barlin Pediatric Lupus Research Program is an integral part of LFA’s strategy to focus resources in research areas that hold great promise to bring down barriers and advance the treatment, prevention and cure of lupus.

Presenting the awards were Louis B. Susman, Vice Chairman, Citigroup Corporate and Investment Banking; Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and Sally Susman, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer, Pfizer Inc. Notable guests included Ann and Vernon Jordan; Angela Burt-Murray, Editor-in-Chief, Essence Magazine; Randall Winston, Executive Producer, "Scrubs," and a LFA Board Member; and Mercedes Yvette, 2004 Runner-up, America’s Next Top Model.

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) and Dr. Annette Shelby and Congressman John Dingell (D-Mich.) and Debbie Dingell were the 2008 Honorary Chairs. U.S. Senator Robert Bennett (R-Utah), Congressman Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) and Leslie Meek, Esq. were the Honorary Co-Chairs.

Photo: Soledad O'Brien, Patti LaBelle

LFA Hosts Fifth Annual Awards Gala Tonight / Take the Survey on LFA Webchats

Good morning everyone ...

This is going to be a short entry, as today is going to be a very, very busy day. Have 2 items that I want to share with you.

LFA's 5th Annual Awards Gala

Tonight at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in downtown DC, the Lupus Foundation of America will host its 5th Annual Awards Gala. The honorees and the awards they are receiving are:

Leadership in Lupus Research Award
Senator Tom Harkin
Chair, Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies

The Cooper Family Foundation Leadership Award
Sheila C. Johnson
Chief Executive Officer
Salamander Hospitality, LLC

Corporate Leadership in Lupus Award
Elliott Sigal, M.D., Ph.D.
President, Research and Development,
Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer
Bristol-Myers Squibb

The Master of Ceremonies is Soledad O'Brien, CNN Anchor & Special Correspondent. And the evening's entertainment will be Grammy Award-winning artist Patti LaBelle.

It promises to be a fantastic evening. I'll provide a wrap-up in the next few days.

Help the LFA Improve Its Webchats -- Take This Survey!

Whether or not you have attended one of our chats, we would love to know your thoughts! With just a few moments of your time, you can help the LFA improve its Webchats. We'd like to have your feedback: what's working, what could be better, and more.

Take the survey now!

That's the LFA scoop for now.

Until next time, Wick

Summer Fun Is About To Begin

And speaking of photosensitivity, staying indoors when the sun is shining doesn't have to be a drag. With an ounce of ingenuity, you can find fun things to do with kids of all ages. Check out our list of activities for a little inspiration.

Bring the Lemonade Stand Inside
Do your kids think lemonade grows inside a can or bottle? Teach them how to make it the old-fashioned way, using water, sugar and a little muscle to squeeze the lemons. Mix in a few pureed raspberries or strawberries and pour it over ice, and you have a gourmet thirst-quencher that will rival that of any stand in the neighborhood.

Model Behavior
Make a fashion statement by putting on your own runway show -- featuring silly or fabulous ensembles from every closet in the house. Feeling more like a thespian? Act out scenes from your favorite movie -- or perform your own play or puppet show.

Piece Out
If you found it, broke it or otherwise need to get rid of it, it's suitable for a mosaic masterpiece. We're talking buttons, beads, coins, stones, broken china, colored glass and anything else you can scrounge from the dark corners of your house. Just grab the Elmer's and, for starters, adorn a terra-cotta planter. For more mosaic-inspired ideas and supplies, visit http://www.mosaicbasics.com/ or call 404-248-9098.

That You, Moondoggie?
Why schlep all your earthly belongings to the beach when you can plan your own beach party or luau at home? Don floral shirts or grass skirts, serve tropical fare, and rent a few classic DVDs (think Jaws, Point Break, Beach Blanket Bingo, even Finding Nemo) from your local Blockbuster or Hollywood Video.

Seize the Moment
What better way to celebrate the summer -- and all these great activities -- than by preserving the season on paper? From simple to elaborate, scrapbooking has garnered a cult-like following. Stop by your local craft store for supplies -- or just use a notebook, crayons or markers, magazine clippings and photos.

Taken from the Summer 2004 issue of Lupus Now magazine. Written by Anne Willoughby and Jessica Bizik

May is National Lupus Awareness Month

Every day, 1.5 million Americans (enough people to fill thirty baseball stadiums) struggle with the often disabling and life-altering impact of lupus. Lupus is the result of an unbalanced immune system that can become destructive to any major organ or tissue in the body. Lupus is unpredictable and potentially fatal, yet no satisfactory treatment or cure exists.

Why is awareness of lupus important? To save lives! Consider these facts:

• Lupus can attack the body for years before the disease is diagnosed. Symptoms of lupus mimic common illnesses and often are dismissed as nothing serious.
  
• More than half of the people with lupus suffer four or more years and visit three or more doctors before receiving a correct diagnosis.
  
• Awareness of lupus is lowest among women 18-24 –- the age group most likely to develop the disease.
  
• Late diagnosis and delayed treatment contribute to poor outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality.
  
• Lupus is a serious disease that can damage vital organs, such as the kidneys, heart, lungs, and brain. The disease can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and organ failure leading to significant disability or death.

But there is hope.

Early diagnosis and proper medical care greatly improve the quality of life for people with lupus. The Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) seeks to educate the public about early warning signs of lupus and all aspects of living and coping with the disease.

Could it be lupus?

The LFA has created a simple self-screening tool to help individuals determine whether they should consult with their doctor about lupus. Take the test now.