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My name is Karina and I’ve had the privilege of working and becoming friends with Camille over the last five years. Camille is an incredible educator, advocate for all of including the youth, human rights and beyond. Camille is 100% her unapologetic self which means something like this goes against her independent personality. For her birthday we want to help her along her battle with Lupus. Check out her story:
"In the last three months at age 28 I found out I am one of the 200,000 Americans with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and like many others, it took far too long for any doctor to take me seriously. By the time I received my diagnosis, the Lupus had already damaged my Kidneys and lungs. I am in stage 3 Kidney Disease. It has been a crazy few months of treatments and trying to get my organs to stabilize but it never should have taken this long. My nephrologist said I was showing signs YEARS AGO. Most individuals diagnosed with SLE are Black and Hispanic women and so it’s no surprise that it is so understudied with so little awareness. It’s estimated that over 60% of Americans don’t know about this disease. Here are some additional facts:
- 90% of people living with lupus are women
- 1 in 3 lupus patients suffer from multiple autoimmune diseases
- There are 4 different types of lupus and it is estimated that 1.5 million Americans have some form of lupus
- Lupus is 2-3 times more prevalent among African American, Hispanic/Latina, Asian American, Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander women than among white women.
- Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease caused by lupus. In adults who have lupus 5 out of 10 will have kidney disease.
- Between 10-20% of people with lupus nephritis will develop ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) and require dialysis and or a transplant.
- A Lupus Foundation of America-funded study found that overall lupus was among the top 20 leading causes of death in females aged 5-64 and among Black and Hispanic women it is the 6th leading cause of death in the 25-34 age range.
- $50,000 is lost annually by each lupus patient in healthcare costs and lost productivity
- On average it takes nearly six years for people with lupus to be diagnosed from the first time they notice their lupus symptoms"
Unfortunately, due to the physical demands of her current role she has began searching for a remote position that will be better suited to her current physical needs while she works alongside her care team to find the right treatment plan. Funds raised with be utilized to support her in her transition.
Organizer and beneficiary
Camille Colgan
Beneficiary