HELP US BEAT THE ODDS... I wanted to share this with you as today I celebrate 24 years Lupus free. Twenty-five years ago, I started on a journey full of hope and despair. At age 11, I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. It is estimated that 322,000 and 1.5 million people in the United States have Lupus. Lupus is difficult to diagnose, because many of the symptoms mirror those of other disorders. My parents were told at the time of my diagnosis this was the worst form of Lupus they had ever seen. My Lupus was so bad most times I didn’t understand what was happening, as I was constantly tired, weak, and either in hospitals or in bedridden. I was lucky to be included in a study that was called High-dose Cyclophosphamide for Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and/or Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome. Thankfully, after completing the study, I had defied the odds. I am blessed by my loving family and friends. I hope that my story inspires others’ beliefs that sometimes we can beat the odds.