State Representative Raul Torres and his daughter, Brandy Torres speak about Lupus Awareness Month

Welcome to a Special Edition of Torres TV. I am State Representative Raul Torres, your host.

May is Lupus Awareness Month and today my daughter, Brandy and I would like to ask for your help in spreading the word about this deadly disease.

We would like to share with you our firsthand knowledge that we have gained as we continue to struggle to deal with the many aspects of this disease ever since Brandy was first diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Nephritis in 1991.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can affect ANY part of the body causing inflammation, pain and tissue damage.  The most commonly affected areas are the skin, joints and kidneys. With Autoimmune diseases like Lupus, the immune system sees normally healthy cells as foreign invaders and attacks them. This causes the body to respond naturally with inflammation to expel the invader. This inflammation is what causes the pain, and discomfort as well as sometimes permanent damage to the cells and organs .

The bad news is that there is no cure for Lupus at this time. We also do not know what the cause of Lupus. Genetics, drugs, hormones, UV light, viruses, etc. are all possible contributing factors to lupus.

Lupus is a serious national health problem, affecting as many as 1 of every 200 people in the US, yet an estimated 80 percent of Americans know little or nothing about lupus.

That is why your involvement is so critical during this month of May.  This month we are asking for your help in doing 3 things. Reach out to someone who is struggling with the disease, help us spread the word about Lupus and please make a contribution to the Lupus Foundation.

To learn more go to www.lupus.org.  

Thank you for view this week's Special Edition of Torres TV.Until next time, let's talk and together, let's help find a cure for Lupus.

As your next State Senator, I will work to promote more research and more awareness in our fight against Lupus.

Well, that's all for now. Thank you for viewing this week's episode of Torres TV

Until next time, Let's Talk and Together Let's Move Texas Forward!