Lupus Awareness Month: Making Lupus Visible

By Amy Ondr, President & CEO, Lupus Foundation of America, Heartland Chapter

May is Lupus Awareness Month! It’s an opportunity for the lupus community to join together across the country to raise funds and awareness of the physical, emotional, and economic impact of lupus.

Lupus is considered an invisible illness. A person living with the condition can appear perfectly healthy despite battling many internal issues, such as debilitating pain, extreme fatigue, hair loss, cognitive issues, and physical impairments that affect every facet of their lives.

There is no single test to diagnose lupus and the symptoms are different for everyone. On average, it can take up to six years for an accurate diagnosis of the disease. By raising awareness of lupus, the Lupus Foundation of America, Heartland Chapter hopes to reduce the time to diagnosis and make lupus visible.

What can you do for Lupus Awareness Month?

Help spread awareness and raise funds to end lupus. Check out the Lupus Foundation of America, Heartland Chapter’s Lupus Awareness Month Webpage and share our facts and information about lupus on your social media.

Friday, May 21, 2021, is Put on Purple Day (POP). Whether it's a purple shirt, hat, fingernail polish, lipstick or more, put on your purple, take a pic of you or your crew, and post to your social media using #POP21. Share that you are wearing purple for lupus awareness and inspire others to join you.

Another way to support the mission of the Lupus Foundation of America, Heartland Chapter is by donating and encouraging friends and family to join. Anyone who donates $50 or more during May Lupus Awareness Month will receive a pair of Lupus Foundation of America purple translucent Goodr sunglasses with blue reflective lenses.

With your support, let’s make lupus visible and help people living with the disease.

Editor’s note: Allsup helps individuals living with lupus and other disabilities apply for SSDI and return to work.