Op/Ed: Join me in my efforts to support the Lupus Foundation of America
(BALTIMORE - August 6, 2008) - ... I am one of them.
I will be helping in this year’s Walk For Lupus Now and have set a personal goal to raise a minimum of $500.00 for the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). I hope that you will join me in reaching that goal.
That 10 month sojourn in the "land of Lupus" marked the first of many lessons I've learned on living with Lupus. I could not have successfully negotiated that lesson -- or the years since -- without the support of family, friends, and information provided by The Lupus Foundation of America.
Lupus is a chronic, potentially life threatening autoimmune disease that can cause damage to virtually any organ in the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys.
Living with Lupus means expecting the unexpected -- constantly (smile). As you may remember, before my first big Lupus flare, I was training for a biathlon competition (being a biathlete and martial artist). I remember the morning of my first flare, I'd happily run 10 miles, excited about decreasing my mile time and what that meant for the upcoming competition.
By that afternoon, I was walking with a cane.
By that evening, I was crawling, unable to walk at all.
For the next 10 months, I walked with a cane, retraining myself and my muscles so that I could walk unsupported.
That 10 month sojourn in the "land of Lupus" marked the first of many lessons I've learned on living with Lupus. I could not have successfully negotiated that lesson -- or the years since -- without the support of family, friends, and information provided by The Lupus Foundation of America.
The Lupus Foundation of America is the nation's leading voluntary health organization that provides direct services to people with Lupus; education to the public, to patients, and to healthcare providers; advocates on behalf of people with lupus; and funds research into the causes and cure for lupus.
Please join me in contributing to The Lupus Foundation of America! You can make a donation online by clicking on the link below. That will take you to my personal donation page where you can make a secure online credit card donation.
I also hope you'll consider joining my Walking Team by clicking on to:
www.walkforlupusnowmd.kintera.org/ayiraalliance
And for more on my personal journey with Lupus, please go to www.myspace.com/ayiraspokenword and listen to the spokenword piece "My Marriage to the Wolf".
Thank you so much for your support!
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