BALTIMORE — A Baltimore family, joined by community members and local partners, hosted a 5K run to raise funds for lupus research and awareness. The event, held June 6 in honor of Lupus Awareness Month, was rescheduled from May due to weather — a delay organizers say underscored that the fight against lupus extends well beyond a single month.

Event co-coordinator Brittany Watson said she was inspired while sitting bedside with her wife, Deja Watson, who was diagnosed with lupus in 2014. Brittany connected with her godbrother Jermaine Lemon, a barber and community health advocate with the National Minority Quality Forum, who mobilized church and community partners to bring the vision to life. Sponsors included the Lupus Foundation of America, the National Minority Quality Forum, Forest Park High School, Sincere Media Baltimore, and Hope Lupus Awareness Warriors.

Lupus Foundation of America ambassador Kimberly Boddie, who has advocated for lupus research on Capitol Hill, noted that the disease can take years to diagnose. Symptoms include brain fog, joint pain, skin rashes, and extreme fatigue. She also cautioned that prednisone, commonly prescribed for inflammation, can cause serious long-term complications including bone deterioration and joint damage. Lemon said his barbershop conversations often become opportunities to discuss health. “A lot of symptoms and diseases start with the hair,” he said. Deja’s battle with lupus has cost her sight in one eye and led to a miscarriage. She now walks with a cane. Brittany’s swift advocacy during a 2021 flare-up may have been lifesaving. “I could have died in 2021 if I didn’t have my wife fighting for me,” Deja said. Walk participant Andrea McNeil, who attended with members of Word of Life Christian Community Church, said: “It’s an important issue because lupus affects everyone. We believe in taking care of the body — the physical and the mental — as a whole.”

Proceeds from the event will support lupus research, which advocates say remains critically underfunded.

Learn the signs, how to support someone, and more at: Beyond Lupus