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I am honored to hold the position of Executive Director of the
Dorough Lupus
Foundation, Inc. As a co-founder with my brother Howard Dorough,
we have made it
our mission to provide financial assistance to organizations and
individuals affected
by the vicious disease Lupus. My dedication stems from the devastating
loss of my
beloved sister Caroline Dorough-Cochran. Her battle with Lupus
showed me just how
devastating and debilitating this disease can be.
Lupus
is a chronic autoimmune disease which causes the immune system
to turn against
the body, harming healthy cells and tissues. Additionally, Lupus
is a rheumatic disease, which causes severe aches, pain and stiffness
in the joints, ligaments, tendons and muscles. This disease is
an equal opportunity infector, meaning it does not discriminate
its victims based upon race, gender or age, however it does prefer
to feed upon women and children. Anyone at anytime can test positive
for Lupus, and the truly scary part is, there is NO CURE.
Statistically,
Lupus infects 1 out of every 186 people, meaning more people suffer
from this disease that HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia and Cancer
combined! Despite this, government and public funding for the
research and education of this illness are severely lacking.
Because Lupus is a genetic disease, commonly misdiagnosed in its
initial stages, all of us are at potential risk for infection.
WE need to provide financial and volunteer support immediately
in order to achieve the eradication of this silent and deadly
killer.
I
personally plead for everyone to find the means to financially
assist us in our mission and to urge all government representatives
through our great nation to bring Lupus' reign as a devastating
killer of precious life, to an end. Especially before another
innocent child dies.
Thank
you and may you all be blessed !
Compassionately Yours,
Angelia
M. Herring
Executive Director
Dorough Lupus Foundation, Inc.
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It amazes me how drastically one small word has altered my life.
Reflecting upon
an interview about a decade ago, I was asked where I thought I would
be in ten
years. My answer then hardly reflects the path that my life has
taken, primarily
because that question was posed to me prior to the loss of my precious
sister
Caroline to the heinous disease Lupus. In 1998, after an extensive
and considerable
battle with Lupus, my sister succumbed and was taken from my life
forever.
I was in Los
Angeles, accepting a historical career achievement award from
MTV
for The Backstreet Boys, then when I was walking off stage reality
hit. My family
called to tell me that Caroline had declined and was asking for
me. I got on the first flight home, but as my plane landed, my
dear Caroline passed. I went from shock and disbelief, to funeral
services, only to have to depart my sister's burial mass to catch
another flight to honor a contractual concert obligation in South
America. During the flight I was numb, then I had to preformed
before a sold out stadium, after which, I walked off stage only
to have reality set in ...my Caroline is gone, because of Lupus!
Watching her plight with this disease made me aware of the dire
need for the research and development of new treatments and most
importantly, a cure. Her courage throughout her battle inspired
my family and I to dedicate ourselves to helping the scientific
community find the cure for Lupus.
Prior to my
sister's diagnosis of Lupus, I had never heard of the disease,
nor had I any knowledge on the disease, its treatment nor its
mortality rate, after all Lupus is not a well known or fashionable
charity cause. When I found out that 1 out of every 186 people
suffers from this disease, which is more than HIV/AIDS, Sickle
Cell Anemia and Cancer combined, I was dumbfounded. How could
a disease that was so rampant be so unknown? That is a question
my family and I were and are determined to rectify. Through the
Dorough Lupus Foundation, we are supporting the scientific community
to develop new therapy options and technology for the advancement
of the treatment and optimally the cure for Lupus. I feel that
one of the most effective means of support we can offer is a voice
to the cruel disease. That is why I have pledged my continual
support to our Foundation and its fundraising efforts.
The Dorough
Lupus Foundation has made it part of our mission to raise public
knowledge and awareness of the disease Lupus. In order to increase
efforts within in the scientific community towards finding a cure,
it is imperative for the public to demand results. Without the
proper knowledge and education, the public is not informed enough
to demand these results, which is why the Dorough Lupus Foundation
is dedicated to raising public awareness of this disease.
We will continue
to subsidize the research and educational efforts related to the
eradication of Lupus, but to do so, we need YOU. Please help us
help you, because statistically based, no one is safe from this
disease, and remember there is NO CURE yet!
~
Howard Dorough ~
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