WHEREAS, Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that can affect various parts of the body, especially the skin, joints, blood, and kidneys; and

WHEREAS, Lupus is a potentially fatal autoimmune disease that affects approximately 1.4 million Americans, 90 percent of whom are women; and

WHEREAS, Sixteen thousand Americans develop lupus each year; and

WHEREAS, Lupus destroys the quality of life of young people in their prime, usually striking between 15 and 44 years of age; and

WHEREAS, Because many lupus symptoms are vague, mimic other illnesses, and may be intermittent, diagnosis is difficult, and the disease can deceive victims, family members, doctors, and research scientists; and

WHEREAS, The American College of Rheumatology has listed the following symptoms as being most often associated with lupus: (1) achy joints, (2) fever above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, (3) arthritis (swollen joints), (4) prolonged or extreme fatigue, (5) skin rashes, (6) anemia, (7) kidney disorder, (8) pleurisy (pain in the chest upon deep breathing), (9) butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose, (10) photosensitivity (sensitivity to sun or light), (11) hair loss, (12) abnormal blood clotting, (13) Raynaud’s Syndrome (fingers turning white, blue, and red in the cold), (14) seizures, and (15) nose or mouth ulcers; and

WHEREAS, Increased public awareness will result in more research, earlier diagnosis, and, hopefully, the discovery of a life-saving treatment; now, therefore, be it