The Yonkers City Council on June 10, 2025, unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing Lupus Awareness Month and supporting efforts to educate residents about the autoimmune disease.

Speakers during the public-comment portion described personal experiences with lupus and urged greater local awareness and support. Cheryl Sanchez, who said her daughter was born in Yonkers, thanked the council for the opportunity to speak. "We appreciate it," she told the council as she introduced her daughter.

"In 2020, I was diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease that has no cure," Brittany Sanchez said in testimony. "An autoimmune means that your immune system that's made to protect you against sickness gets confused and attacks your own body instead. In lupus, it can attack any organ system and can affect each person differently." Brittany Sanchez also described how lupus and other chronic conditions can be invisible and complicate daily life.

During council discussion, Councilwoman Gennada Isaac said lupus "affects approximately 1,500,000 Americans" and noted that the disease is not required to be reported to public-health officials, which complicates tracking and epidemiological study. A commenter who identified as a medical educator urged the public to contact federal lawmakers, warning that cuts to the National Institutes of Health and other agencies could reduce available clinical trials and research funding for lupus, sickle cell and other conditions.

The council closed discussion and adopted the resolution by a recorded vote of 7-0. The resolution is listed on the agenda as item number 12.