Serrano Is Guest Speaker At Lupus Event

Senator Serrano was the invited speaker at the Alliance for Lupus Research Annual Luncheon to kick of this year’s Lupus Walk on October 13.

"The 28th Senate District has some of the highest percentages of people living with lupus," said the Senator. "This is all the more disturbing when you consider that our community already suffers from major disparities in healthcare access and treatment."

He added, "Our hope is that this year’s walk will bring us closer to our goal of discovering better treatment and ultimately a cure for lupus."

More than 1.5 million Americans have lupus. Women of color, from African American and Latino communities, are particularly at risk.

Senator Serrano has emerged as a vocal advocate in the lupus community. In this year’s New York state budget, he appropriated $10,000 for comprehensive public awareness and patient education programs. In May, the Senator convened a lupus workshop to provide information and resources to residents in his district.

Lupus is a chronic illness in which the immune system becomes overactive and forms antibodies that target and damage different organs and tissues in the body. Many people suffer from lupus for months or years without a diagnosis. Though a cure has not yet been discovered, treatment for the diseases has improved tremendously in recent years.

For more on Information on the walk, please go to http://walk.lupusresearch.org