Pictured are lupus survivors and supporters surrounding Tifton Mayor Julie Smith and Tift County Commission chairman Grady Thompson as they sign the proclamations officially declaring May as Lupus Awareness Month in Tifton.

TIFTON, Ga. — May is Lupus Awareness Month, and to help spread the awareness, Tift County Commission chairman Grady Thompson and Tifton Mayor Julie Smith recently signed proclamations officially declaring it as Lupus Awareness Month in Tifton. Joining them were lupus survivors and supporters, United Way of South Central Georgia representatives and Tifton Junior Woman’s Club members.

Pat McKinnon, executive director of United Way of South Central Georgia, said United Way is helping in this effort to bring awareness. Charleston Carter, president of the United Way Board, said promoting health is part of their mission, and they’re bringing awareness to a worthy cause.

“We’re getting Tift County ready for Lupus Awareness Month,” McKinnon said. “We were able to get proclamations signed by Tifton and Tift County to help back us in bringing this to the forefront.”

Tracy Wyatt, president of the Tifton Junior Woman’s Club, said they wanted to join in on this effort also.

McKinnon said their goal is to show awareness throughout the city and county by placing 200 purple ribbons in the community at local businesses. She noted this is not a fundraising event.

She said they’re encouraging people to wear purple throughout the month to show their support.

“Tell people why you’re wearing purple,” she said.

McKinnon noted that there are two important dates during the month — World Lupus Day is May 10, and Put On Purple Day (POP) is May 20.

According to the Lupus Foundation of America, lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints and/or organs inside the body). With lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria and germs (“foreign invaders,” like the flu). Lupus is also a disease of flares (the symptoms worsen and you feel ill) and remissions (the symptoms improve and you feel better).

Lupus is more pervasive and more severe than people think. Research shows that nearly two-thirds of the public knows little or nothing about lupus.

According to the foundation, lupus is not contagious, not even through sexual contact. You cannot catch lupus from someone or give lupus to someone. Lupus is not like or related to cancer. Cancer is a condition of malignant, abnormal tissues that grow rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease. However, some treatments for lupus may include immunosuppressant drugs that are also used in chemotherapy.

Also, lupus can range from mild to life-threatening and should always be treated by a doctor. With good medical care, most people with lupus can lead a full life.

It is believed that 5 million people throughout the world have a form of lupus. It strikes mostly women of childbearing age (15-44). However, men, children and teenagers develop lupus also. Most people with lupus develop the disease between the ages of 15-44. Women of color are two to three times more likely to develop lupus than Caucasians.