ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - ‘Lacing Up for Lupus," is an awareness walk in partnership with the city of Albany.

The event will take place Saturday, May 30, at Radium Springs Garden Park. The walk will begin at 9 a.m. Participation costs $35, and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Lupus Foundation of Georgia.

Advocates share personal connection to disease

For Shey Bass, lupus is a disease that claimed the life of her husband, Charlie “Chip,” Bass and ignited her advocacy.

“It’s definitely very rare in men, since I saw what he went through I’ve become more passionate behind it and just looked at the research behind it,” Bass said. “It’s about 10 percent of men that are affected and you just never know when that could take place.”

Katesa Walker, another lupus advocate, has a sister and aunt that are living with the disease and an aunt that passed away from the disease.

She said the goal is to advance research and support for those living with the disease.

“Ultimately one day we would like them to find a cure,” Walker said. “So, we would like for people to be involved in clinical trials, to have knowledge of what lupus is, and how people suffer everyday.”

May is Lupus Awareness Month

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that anyone can develop. But the Lupus Foundation says certain people are at higher risk for lupus, including:

• Women ages 15 to 44
• Certain racial or ethnic groups — including people who are African American, Asian American, Hispanic/Latino, Native American, or Pacific Islander
• People who have a family member with lupus or another autoimmune disease

Additional support is available through the Southwest Georgia Lupus Support Group. Visit LupusGA.org or call (770) 333-5930 for more information.

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