Healthy Swellness: World Lupus Day

Today, May 10, 2014, is World Lupus Day and to help fund research into lupus and potential treatments, I’ve made a donation of $50 towards the Lupus Canada “Butterfly Campaign” – and to show your support, perhaps it’s a cause you’ll consider supporting, too.

If you’re not very familiar with what lupus is, it’s an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to turn against the body and attack healthy tissues or organs. But it affects people in different ways, and the symptoms can be confused with other illnesses. And because of this, it can be difficult to diagnose, and it also means that many people don’t seek medical help right away and it can be difficult for them to talk about what they’re going through. Symptoms vary from person to person but common ones include extreme fatigue, fever, swollen glands and joints and decreased mobility, and it can also lead to other issues including kidney failure, heart and lung inflammation and blood disorders.

It’s very possible someone you know suffers from it. Lupus affects over one in 1,000 women in Canada and it’s nine times more common in women, often hitting them between the ages of 15 and 45.

To help further research into lupus, Lupus Canada (a national voluntary organization dedicated to improving the lives of Canadians with lupus) has launched the “Butterfly Campaign.” The goal of this campaign is to raise $50,000 to virtually release 2,500 butterflies. For every $25 donation, you release a single butterfly. For a $50 donation, you release three butterflies. The butterfly is symbolic when it comes to lupus not only because it is a symbol of hope, life and beauty (a message Lupus Canada wants to share with those with lupus), but also because a unique butterfly-like skin rash across the nose and cheeks is one of the common symptoms for those affected.

Today, World Lupus Day, is an opportunity to build awareness and break the silence that surrounds this disease. The cause of lupus is unknown, and while it can have a debilitating effect on people’s lives, it can be treated and controlled—and your support in building awareness and through donating (if you can) can help Lupus Canada work towards a better future for those with this disease.

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1 Comment May 10, 2014

Fitness Swellness: Donate to Camp Ooch (and I will run, run, run in the Sporting Life 10k)

On May 11, 2014, I will put on some running shoes and race the Sporting Life 10k, and while you may not be running it, why not donate to Camp Oochigeas through sponsoring me–and it’ll be like you’re running it, too, for a good cause!

Camp Ooch is a camp experience for children affected by childhood cancer. It’s been around since 1983 helping kids focus on being kids and having fun (at no cost to the families)–and it’s the only residential camp in Ontario to offer on-site IV chemotherapy and blood transfusions.

This  year, as part of the Nike Canada media team, I’m running the race (my third Sporting Life 10k) to help raise funds to send a child with cancer to Camp Oochigeas. The only reason I haven’t run the #SL10k more often is because it’s usually very close to a longer distance race that I’ve committed to, like that Toronto Marathon, which I am running again this year.

But as I did two years ago, I’m running this race one week after marathon. Is this a smart running choice? Maybe not. But the Sporting Life 10k is a fun race and for a great cause!

Maybe run the race yourself (the last time I checked, the race is not sold out yet!) — we can high-five at the finish line! Or, if you haven’t been running at all and don’t feel up to race 10k, then sponsor me! All donations greatly appreciated.

(Those wicked runners above are the new Nike Free Flyknit 4.0, which I won’t be wearing for my  marathon or the SL10k race — you shouldn’t wear anything brand new that you haven’t had a chance to run several times in for a race (you never know if it’ll cause chafing or blisters and when you’re in the middle of a race is not when you want to discover that it does!), but I’ll be testing them out after the Sporting Life 10k.)

— Karen xo

P.S. And, don’t forget, sponsor me, pretty please?

3 Comments April 24, 2014