e-Announcement:
CELEBRITIES JOIN CAMPAIGN FOR LUPUS AWARENESS
October is Lupus Awareness Month … yet lupus remains under-recognized and under-funded
Markham, ON – September 29, 2009.
In October, lupus patients and supporters across Canada will recognize Lupus Awareness Month as a time to
reflect on what all Canadians can do to increase awareness of this under-recognized and under-funded disease.
Joining in our efforts to promote awareness of this life-threatening and life-altering disease are our Lupus Canada
Ambassadors Colin Mochrie, Debra McGrath and Patrick McKenna. Colin is most recognized for his work on Whose
Line is it Anyway?, Debra currently stars on CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie and Patrick is best known for playing
Harold Green on the television series The Red Green Show and Marty Stephens on Traders. “We are thrilled to have
such well known Canadian talent helping us to move the vision and mission of Lupus Canada forward through
increased awareness” says Lupus Canada Executive Director Catherine Madden.
Lupus affects tens of thousands of Canadian men, women and children, yet many people are still unaware of
the disease. Its symptoms often mimic other illnesses, and it can attack any tissue or organ in the body. Lupus
patients often suffer from the disease in very different ways, hence the moniker “The Disease with 1000 Faces’.
Common symptoms of lupus include joint pain, skin rashes, sun sensitivity, extreme fatigue, fever, chest pain and
seizures.
Lupus Canada President André Vincent says: “One of the principal challenges for people living with lupus is
the fact that people around them do not understand what lupus is, its effect and the effect of medications involved in
treating this disease. For this reason, Lupus Awareness Month is a critical way to help people.” A registered
charitable organization, Lupus Canada provides support to people whose lives have been affected by lupus. One or
our main initiatives is increasing awareness of the disease so that while we continue to work towards our vision of Life
without lupus we can ensure that Canadians are living well with lupus today.
For information about lupus, please visit
www.lupuscanada.org or call 1(800) 661-1468. If you wish to have a print-out of the press release, please click here. |
