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Lupus Foundation of Southern California, San Diego and Imperial County

Get in the Loop for Lupus!

To enhance the quality of life for lupus patients and their families through awareness, education and advocacy; continually promote awareness in the community and support lupus research in an effort to find a cure.

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Why should I support your work?

Your give combined with other donations will be used for printing our quarterly newsletters, educational lupus pamphlets – both in English and Spanish – and sending out information packets.  We hope that by informing the community about lupus – both the lay community and doctors – diagnosis will be made earlier and the individuals will know there is a local organization to which they can turn for peer patient counseling by telephone and in our office.  A great many people have never heard of lupus, although 1 in 185 people have lupus a disease that currently affects over 2 million Americans – 90% women which includes African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Asians.  The people that do have lupus are not very vocal about their suffering.  Lupus is a chronic disease in which the immune system attacks normal, healthy tissue resulting in inflammation of various parts of the body.  It can be debilitating and even fatal.  Lupus most often targets women in the prime of their lives (ages 15-45).  Some common symptoms of lupus are joint pain, skin rashes, kidney dysfunction, lung, heart, and brain disease.  Your donation will help us achieve our mission to raise awareness of lupus and to make life better for those living with lupus and to find a cure!  A dedicated team of volunteers and professional staff works to help fulfill the Lupus Foundation’s mission of providing support, public education and funding of progressive medical research.  In striving to fulfill our mission, we bring hope to the thousands whose lives are touched by lupus.

Why does your charity exist?

We exist to assist lupus patients and their families and friends learn about lupus.  To implement programs aimed toward public awareness and education and to seek funding for research into the causes and cure of the disease of Lupus Erythematosus.

We are the only lupus organization in the San Diego – Imperial County area with a full-time staff person and volunteers in the office to answer questions and direct people to getting the help they need.

When a person has lupus it is very important to know that they are not the only one with this disease.  By speaking first to the staff person and then a person who is also living with lupus it helps to calm their fears and find out that they can live with lupus.

Because 1 in 185 people have lupus, most likely someone you know has lupus.

What have you accomplished?

Because Lupus is such a life altering disease, it is very important to find a doctor that knows about lupus and that the patient can relate to.  We have lists of doctors that we keep updated and can share with people calling in for information.  We also ask for feedback from the patients themselves.

Also, it is important to know that you are not alone in the struggle.   Speaking with someone who is living with Lupus has a very calming effect on the newly diagnosed.  We have peer patient counseling for anyone that calls or e-mails the office.

A quote from one of our members:

“The average lupus patient has Lupus for 5 years before they are diagnosed.  When I finally received the diagnoses of Lupus for my daughter, then I knew she would get the help to get well.  At the same time we received the diagnosis, I was told about the Lupus Foundation in San Diego.  When I made that phone call and spoke to a living lupus patient it just gave me such hope.  It is just the feeling of support that through the good times and bad times these people will be there for us.  You find out over time that just about everything you experience, the fears, the depression, the ups and downs, these people have also experienced.  Knowing you are not the only one suffering with this disease helps in so many ways.”

How can I be sure you’ll use my money wisely?

We have a system of checks and balances in place.  First, our board of directors approves of how our money is spent.   Then the organizations of which we are a member require an annual review by a CPA of our operations to insure compliance with their guidelines.