Lupus is an autoimmune disease that primarily affects more women of color than white. It is desperately underfunded and researched, possibly because of the ethnicities mostly affected by it.
We became interested in interviewing people living with lupus after learning about a drug called hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which is facing a shortage due to it being linked to preventing COVID-19. There is an influx of people purchasing this drug as a preventative measure when there are people such as lupus patients who are in more dire need.
To understand the negative impact of this shortage, we interviewed Cherri Perron and Tonyelle Cook-Artis to learn about the autoimmune disease that may be becoming harder to live with due to a panic purchase of HCQ for COVID-19 prevention.
Noteable: People living with lupus have already been practicing social-distancing due to being susceptible to most sicknesses.
The Lupus Foundation of America Philadelphia chapter hosts over 15 support groups in the tri-state area for people living with lupus. They also support and offer counsel people living with lupus - which Cherri Perron specifically volunteers for.
The Lupus Foundation of America - Philadelphia hosts educational courses designed to teach and equip people with the knowledge to manage their lupus. They also host four ‘living well with lupus’ symposiums annually with the same educational objectives around the tri-state area.
The foundation chapter makes small grants to patients who may be struggling with medical expenses.
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