Lupus Awareness Month

WHEREAS, Lupus is an acute, chronic, and lifelong autoimmune disease in which the immune system is unbalanced, causing inflammation and tissue damage to virtually every organ system in the body; and

WHEREAS, Lupus can affect any part of the body, including the skin, lungs, heart, kidneys, and brain, with no organ spared, and can cause seizures, strokes, heart attacks, miscarriages, and organ failure; and

WHEREAS, researchers estimate that five million people worldwide have been diagnosed with Lupus or related diseases, with about 100,000 new diagnoses each year; and

WHEREAS, the Lupus Foundation of America, Inc., estimates that more than 1.5 million Americans live with some form of Lupus, including an estimated 23,000 Alabamians; and

WHEREAS, Lupus strikes mostly women of childbearing age, when they are 15 to 44 years old, affecting all aspects of their lives, with African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians, and Native Americans two to three times more likely to develop Lupus, a disparity that remains unexplained; and

WHEREAS, Lupus is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to the symptoms of other illnesses, meaning that more than one-half of all people with Lupus wait four or more years and visit three or more doctors before they are correctly diagnosed; and

WHEREAS, early diagnosis and proper treatment are critical to improving the quality of life and survival rate of those living with Lupus; and

WHEREAS, major gaps exist in the understanding of the causes and consequences of Lupus, and increased public awareness, education, and research are key to winning the battle against the disease:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim May 2011, as

Lupus Awareness Month

in the state of the Alabama.

 

Given Under My Hand and the Great Seal of the Office of the Governor at the State Capitol in the City of Montgomery on the 6th day of May 2011.

 

      

Governor Robert Bentley