Three months ago my younger sister Erin was diagnosed with Lupus.  A full 7 years prior, it was Sjögren's Syndrome and a string of many more inaccurate diagnosis along with countless tests by 15 different doctors, whiched began the endless stack of medical bills.  However, the painful struggle actually started 10 years ago after the birth of her son, and became progressively worse, after her twins were born in 2010. It took years of specialists, tests and surgeries, which resulted in blood transfusions, to finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together. It's hard to tell if the mental suffering or physical pain is worse for her, or if the steroids are helping her or just making her feel worse.  However, the steroids are currently saving her from a potential stroke.  Her lupus specifically targets her brain, which is effecting her central nervous system. There is a vessel in her brain that is distended from the Lupus and is pushing on a nerve, making it impossible for her to see on many occasions.  Most days, she cannot get out of bed to take care of her Autistic son and 5 year old twins. Having a child with special needs is an entire job in itself, and adding highly active and very busy identical twins to the mix can be challenging some days. My family is everything to me, and I hope I can help her by sharing this information with you.  

According to the Lupus Foundation of America the annual total cost of Lupus per year is $20,924. For a single income family of 5, plus the last 5 years of medical treatments, tests and specialists, plus the cost of having lupus it is not possible to this family to survive without help.  Erin is in the process of (hopefully) getting help from disability until she can get her symptoms under control.  To learn more about Lupus, check out lupus.org.