Friend,

School is back in session, the 2018 Illinois Lupus Walk Season is wrapping up and the holidays are right around the corner. Time is flying by!

The Chicago Illinois Lupus Walk & Fun Run is coming up on Sunday, September 23, 2018.  Registration is still open and it promises to be better than last year!  We’ll have new kid’s activities and Team Photos! Back again is the Team T-shirt contest – and our fantastic DJ!

Funds raised go toward our mission in Illinois – enabling LSI to continue to fund free events like the upcoming webinar “Living with Lupus: Long-Term Effects” presented by Dr. Robert Katz on September 27, 2018.  Registration is required and the second Lupus Patient Educational Event at Rush University Medical Center on November 3, 2018. 

We are constantly inspired by our volunteers – like our walk committees and the Debbie Medlin Memorial Golf Outing committee, lead by Wayne Casey and our Lupus Charity Runners who are participating in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon coming up on October 7th.  

We share one runner's story below.  Be sure to read about Adrian Milton and his powerful reason for participating in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon as a Lupus Charity Runner.

Thanks to Adrian and all of our volunteers who help move our mission forward!

We hope to see you at one of our upcoming events or activities.  And always remember, we’re here if you need us.

Together we make a difference.

Mary Dollear
President, Lupus Society

Our Suite # has changed to:

411 S. Wells
Suite 503
Chicago, IL 60607

REMEMBERING JACQUELINE SILVA – LUPUS WARRIOR 
​Family honors sister who lost her battle to lupus 10 years ago 

Jacqueline Silva was diagnosed with lupus when she was 16 years old.  She lived with the disease a little over 10 years before passing away on September 24, 2008.  Her life, though short, touched many and her legacy lives on with a family dedicated to increasing awareness and educating their community about this misunderstood disease.

Eddie Silva, Jacqueline’s brother, was a kid himself when his parents told him and his brother about their sister’s disease.  “I remember their faces as they tried to explain it to us when they had little to no information themselves,” says Eddie.  “I distinctly remember how sad and scared my parents were.”

Read the full story here.

Chicago Lupus Walk & Fun Run!
Join hundreds for the 18th annual event!  

Chicago Illinois Lupus Walk & Fun Run!
Sunday, September 23, 2018
Lincoln Park - Chicago
~Stockton Dr. & LaSalle Dr.
Chicago, IL 60614

Festivities and registration begins at 8:30am
Fun run begins at 9:50am
Walk begins at 10:00am

Spanish Language Educational Event - Viviendo con Lupus

On June 26, 2018, LSI presented its annual Spanish Language Educational Event at Casa Michoacán in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood.  The speaker was Dr. Juan Schmukler. 

Dr. Schmukler graduated on June 30th and is transitioning to at Mt Sinai and Holy Cross.   As a native Spanish speaker, He has a special interest in the Spanish-speaking community and their unique needs. His main interests lie in clinical rheumatology and in working with underserved populations.

Thanks to Dr. Schmukler, Dr. Patricia Canessa

Download the presentation here.

Research Article: Body Image in Lupus
LSI's Dr. Meenakshi Jolly

Dr. Meehakshi Jolly was one of the authors of the recently published research article "Body image in lupus: Is it disease activity, physical function, depression, pain, fatigue, fibromyalgia or stress? Published in the International Journal of Clinical Rheumatology (2018) 13(4), 245-249.

Download the article here.

Lupus Charity Runners: One Runners Story

On Sunday, October 7th I will be participating in the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon as a Lupus Charity Runner in honor of one of my best friends, Jason Redeaux, who has been suffering from Lupus for 13 years, and I need your support. I am committed to raising $1600 and I can’t do it without your help.  No donation is too small.

In the fall of 2017, after 12 years of relative dormancy, Jason’s Lupus took a turn for the worst.  He was in and out of the hospital for months and in the spring of 2018 was ultimately diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure.  He desperately needed a kidney.  As soon as I found out, I volunteered to be tested as a potential donor for him.  As soon as I found out, I volunteered to be tested as a potential donor for him.  Shortly thereafter, however, we unexpectedly lost our youngest daughter, Elizabeth Rose, to myocarditis.  

Read the full story here.

13th Annual Western Suburbs Lupus Walk HUGE Success!

On Saturday, August 13, 2018, about 500 supporters participated in the Lupus Walk in Naperville Illinois!  The event ambassadors were Jim & Cheryl Vail, who shared their personal experiences with lupus.

Thanks to all of the walkers and the dozens of volunteers who made this event such a great success!

We're already looking forward to next year!

Debbie Medlin Golf Outing

On August 27, 2018, the Inaugural Debbie Medlin Memorial Golf Outing and Dinner tee'd off!  Besides golf and dinner, the event included a 50/50 raffle, basket raffle, silent auction and brief program.  The event grossed over $12,000 for the LSI's mission!

The Debbie Medlin Memorial Golf Outing is a celebration of the life of Debbie Medlin—a remarkable woman who lost her battle to lupus on November 9, 2017.  In her  memory and with the generosity of spirit we witnessed from Debbie, we gather and raise funds to support others in the lupus community.

Thanks go out to the committee lead by Wayne Casey and the Medlin family.