During May, walks and other events will take place worldwide to generate awareness of lupus and raise funds to help support services for people living with lupus. On a national level, Lupus Canada will celebrate its 10th annual Walk for Lupus, with a Comox Valley offshoot May 15. Lupus Canada is a national volunteer organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living with lupus, through advocacy, education, public awareness, support and research. Its vision is simply: Life without lupus. The walks are the single most important annual fundraising and public awareness campaign. More than five million people worldwide suffer from the devastating effects of lupus, and each year over 100,000 young women, men and children are newly diagnosed, the majority of whom are women of childbearing age. It is estimated that this disease affects more than 50,000 Canadians. The cause of lupus is unknown and there is no cure. Medical research efforts into lupus and the discovery of safer and more effective treatments for patients are underfunded, in comparison to diseases of comparable magnitude and severity. Even today, lupus remains an under-recognized chronic illness which many people are unaware of. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own healthy cells, causing tissue damage, organ failure and in some cases death. Lupus can strike any tissue or organ in the body, including skin, muscles, joints, blood and blood vessels, lungs, heart, kidneys and the brain. The symptoms of lupus vary drastically from person to person and it often mimics other diseases, making it known as the "disease of a thousand faces." As such, this complex and baffling condition can often be difficult to diagnose. A local Walk for Lupus will be held this Sunday at 10 a.m. at the Courtenay Airpark, starting at the rhododendron garden. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. This is a family event, so children and pets are welcome. There will be refreshments for participants of all ages and lots of door prizes. The aim of this fund-raising event is to help educate people about lupus, while at the same time, raise funds to help carry on the work that will one day bring a cure and save lives. For more information about Lupus, visit www.bclupus.org or call toll free 1-866-585-8787. For details about the local Walk for Lupus, call 250-339-2611 or visit Lupus Canada at www.walkforlupus.ca. — Lupus Canada