One Woman's Mission to Spread the Word About Lupus

LAKE OSWEGO, OR, June 17, 2011 (Press-News.org) The month of May was a milestone for Molly McCabe, founder of Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus she, along with a dedicated team, resilient legislators and patient advocates were able to get the State of Oregon to name May as Lupus Awareness Month, now and going forward. For Molly, this was a turning point in her five year long battle with lupus, to raise awareness to inspire others, and tell her story. As she stood on the Oregon State Capital steps, proclaiming that May was Lupus Awareness Month in Oregon - she looked out in to the crowd of women, many of whom have lupus as well, and she knew she made a difference - on that day.

Now, Molly is focusing her efforts to continue raising awareness about early detection, to get the medical community more familiar with the signs, symptoms and diagnosis steps, and to provide a forum for those who are afflicted with the disease, to have a community. Her organization - Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus, headed by her mother, Debbie McCabe, a dedicated board, supported by volunteer patient advocates, family, friends and hundreds of followers, they are taking the next steps in awareness and education - with a traveling display.

When Molly was diagnosed with Lupus six years ago, there was very little known about the disease, it took numerous doctors to find the reason for her chronic pain, inflammation, intense sickness. Out of this painful and frustrating struggle for a lupus diagnosis, Molly's Fund was born. Today the organization is one of the most active and passionate lupus groups on the west coast. Launching in September - Molly's Fund will be unveiling their new traveling display - focusing on the symptoms, signs, patient stories, resources, and information about the disease. The display will be available to groups in the NW, at trade shows, medical facilities, retail centers and other public forums.

ABOUT LUPUS: Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease which can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). When a person has lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, and it cannot tell the difference between foreign invaders and your body's healthy tissues and creates auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. The result is intense inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body. There is no cure, and thousands of Oregonians suffer from this illness, and millions do world wide.

Some Hard Facts:
- More than 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus
- More than 16,000 develop the disease each year (in the US)
- Ninety percent of people with lupus are women, and 80% develop the disease between the ages of 15 and 45
- Lupus is 3 times more likely among women of color
- More than 50% of lupus patients see more than 3 doctors before diagnoses
- Lupus is more common than muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, leukemia and cystic fibrosis combined...

About Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus:
Molly's Fund Fighting Lupus is a lupus awareness nonprofit, whose mission is to educate the public and the medical community about lupus, to push for earlier, life-saving diagnoses for those afflicted, and to spur governments and foundations to fund research toward a cure. Visit www.MollysFund.org for more info.

Visit www.MollysFund.org and www.VoicesOfLupus.com for more info.