Selma hosts Lupus Awareness event at City Hall

On the Friday of Memorial Day Weekend, residents and Selma City Council members gathered in front of City Hall to honor the survivors and fallen warriors of lupus.

The event was put together by Karlynn Johnson, a 21-year lupus survivor, with the help of fellow survivors, their families and caregivers. May is Lupus Awareness Month.

“I have suffered damage to my skin, face, joints, hair, lungs, brain cells and nervous system” from SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) and Discoid Lupus, Johnson said. “I am on daily, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly treatments for disease management and medications for other problems resulting from lupus.”     

Sheila Mixon, Sharesha Sneed and Denisha Streeter told their stories of how they came to learn they had lupus and how they handled the emotions and found support.

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, 90% of those affected by lupus are women, a majority between the ages of 15 and 45, and is two to three times more prevalent in African-American women. It is estimated 1.5 million Americans have lupus.

Speakers included Althelstein Johnson, a caregiver to someone who is battling Lupus, Selma City Councilman Atkin Jemison, City Council President Billy Young and Mayor James Perkins Jr. Coley Chestnut gave the invocation and Martin Rose, a survivor, performed a song. There was a balloon release for those that did not survive their battle with lupus, along with the reading of their names.

For more information can be found at https://www.lupus.org.