Upcoming walks in Tucson to help health care causes

Back in person for the third consecutive year is Walk’n for Lupus on Saturday, March 29, at Ramada 15 at Reid Park on the corner of 22nd and Country Club Road.

The event seeks to raise at least $25,000, although “we are hoping to raise $1 million,” said Sharon Joseph, a long-time supporter and board member of the Lupus Foundation of Southern Arizona.

“We are trying to maintain patient programs, but we need funding to do it and that is why the walk is so important," said Joseph. "We also need to raise awareness that the foundation is here to work with people who have lupus and their families and to help with emergency assistance if someone is really sick and needs it."

The foundation provides support, education and partnership to those affected by the chronic autoimmune disorder, which impacts at least 1.5 million Americans — and likely more due to the difficulty with diagnosis.

“The symptoms mimic other diseases. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, and there are lots of those, but this means that lupus presents differently with each person,” said Joseph, who was diagnosed in 2014 after a 15-day hospital stay.

The wide-ranging symptoms can include skin rashes; arthritis-like swelling of the joints; neurological disorders; kidney, liver and blood disorders; extreme fatigue; and much more. There is no cure, but treatments are available to manage the three types of lupus: Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (about 70% of cases are systemic); Discoid Lupus Cutaneous, which is limited to the skin; and Drug Induced Lupus, which occurs most commonly with drugs used to treat hypertension and heart arrhythmia.

Joseph emphasized that services provided by the foundation can be vital to those with lupus and their families as they deal with the often debilitating ramifications of the disease. 

“We have had people apply for a month of rent so they are not evicted and we have helped with utility bills, medical bills and medications and other emergency assistance,” Joseph said.

Other initiatives include peer support groups and a Living with Lupus program featuring guest speakers who provide education and information about coping with the disease and optimizing emotional and physical well-being.

The foundation is also expanding its network and is seeking volunteers and board members to assist with grant writing, development and other tasks.

“We are trying to upgrade our fundraising skills and looking for opportunities for other funding in addition to events ... that is the direction things are moving for most nonprofits,” Joseph said.

Exploring additional funding avenues and maximizing all fundraising opportunities is also a priority for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Southern Arizona, according to Executive Director David Delawder.

“There is a a scare in the healthcare community about funding going away and if it does, we are the place that people will come. We want to make sure we can meet the demand if healthcare gets cut. If people lose Medicaid or ACCHS, that will have a big impact on the local community,” 

To that end, the organization has set a goal of $250,000 for its signature fundraiser, NAMIWalks Southern Arizona at 9 a.m. on Saturday, April 5.

In an effort to boost awareness about NAMI’s mission to provide education, advocacy and support for mental illness, the annual event has relocated to a more central location at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center at Reid Park, 800 S. Concert Place.

“The COVID pandemic brought awareness about the fact that many people are not doing well," said Delawder. "It was normalized to say, ‘I am not OK’ since no one was. Slowly but surely, awareness about mental illness is getting out there, but there is still a stigma about reaching out to doctors for help and NAMI is often the first phone call people make. We are here to listen and assist however we can, which often means providing resources to guide people in the right direction."

Resources include a NAMI Basics course that serves parents and caregivers of adolescents living with mental health conditions; Peer-to-Peer, a course for people with mental health conditions led by peers; Family-to-Family, in which family members provide tools to the loved ones of those affected by mental illness; and In Our Own Voice, in which adults present their lived experiences to other adults. All programs are fully bilingual.

The nonprofit’s largest initiative is Ending the Silence, which provides outreach and education to youth in local schools. Last year, the program reached more than 3,000 young people.

“That is a lot of classrooms," said Delawder.. "Who doesn’t want kids to be mentally healthy? They are the future. This anti-stigma campaign teaches young people that it is OK to reach out and youth are open to that message."

NAMI’s advocacy is also at the forefront in the current environment.

“We advocate for patients with the legislature to voice our displeasure about any cuts against healthcare. We can speak up because we aren’t necessarily tied to insurance companies,” said Delawder.

Ultimately, Delawder said NAMI is dedicated to improving the lives of those affected by mental illness, which means everyone.

“We are all affected by mental illness, whether through friends or family members or by seeing the local homeless camps or helping fund hospital bills for those with mental illness. However you want to think about it, we are all affected,” he said.