Eileen Fraser reports that the pipers are set to join the annual Walk for Lupus in Parksville this weekend and she hopes many others will join the casual walk to raise awareness of the debilitating disease.
The goal is to help bring the auto-immune related disease which has no known cure, home to people who may not know of anyone with it.
Called “the disease with a 1,000 faces,” 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 — from the Latin for wolf.
People will meet at the clock tower in front of Home Hardware in downtown Parksville at 10 a.m. this Saturday, May 5 and walk up the highway to A&W for refreshments.
Visit www.lupuscanada.org for more on the disease or call Eileen at 250-248-2905 for more on the lupus support group which meets once a month at a local restaurant.