The Parksville Warriors held their annual walk for lupus on May 7 in downtown Parksville to raise funds and awareness about “the disease with a 1,000 faces.”
Co-ordinator Eileen Fraser said it was a very successful event and despite it being a rainy week, the rain held off for the walk.
Around 25 people took part in the event, walking from the clock tower at Home Hardware to A&W for refreshments.
“We handed out lots of pamphlets along the way to interested passersby. This ties in with our primary goal which is to raise awareness of this little known disease,” Fraser said.
The walk is meant to reach out to people, including those who might have symptoms and not even realize it. The symptoms range from joint pain, hair loss and fatigue to chest pain, swelling feet and legs, seizures or other neurological symptoms.
There can be an unusual reaction to sunlight or various types of rashes, small ulcers in the nose or mouth, or the most notable symptom, a red rash across the nose and upper cheeks that look vaguely wolf-like, giving the disease its name — based on the Latin for wolf.
Check www.lupuscanada.org for more on the disease or call Fraser at 250-248-2905 for more on the local support group.