Union County commissioners proclaim May 2025 as Lupus Awareness Month

Union County commissioners presented a resolution recognizing May 2025 as Lupus Awareness Month and honored the local Lupus Foundation team on the agenda-setting meeting.

The resolution, read by Commissioner Williams and approved by the full board as a commissioner-sponsored item for consideration at the regular meeting, notes the seriousness of lupus and the need for increased awareness, education and research. The presentation was accepted on behalf of the Lupus Foundation of America by Charlotte Deacate and two people identified in the meeting as “lupus warriors,” Lenore Snead of Roselle and Larry Graham of Summit.

Charlotte Deacate, introduced during the presentation, described lupus as “a cruel, misunderstood, and oftentimes a challenging, disease,” and urged more awareness so people receive earlier diagnoses and better access to research and advocacy. Deacate said she was diagnosed in 2017 after a seven-year process and closed her remarks saying, “They say we have lupus, but lupus does not have us.”

Commissioners noted the role of the Lupus Foundation of America and the Union County team in providing support and education. The presentation was placed on the agenda for the board’s regular meeting for formal consideration as a resolution from the commissioners.

The presentation occurred during the agenda-setting portion of the Board of County Commissioners’ meeting and does not itself change county policy or funding; any formal adoption will be processed as a commissioners’ resolution at the upcoming regular meeting.