Hello everyone and welcome!

For those of you who know me and have walked with me before, welcome back!

When I was 20 years old, after a few mis-diagnoses, I was ultimately disagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. When I first heard that, I had no idea what it meant. Now I strive to teach others about lupus and raise money for a cure.

4 years after my initial diagnoses of SLE, I started having kidney involvement. The most recent data suggests that 50% of people diagnosed with Lupus will see kidney involvement or Lupus Nephritis. When a kidney biopsy confirmed Lupus Nephritis, we started looking for a kidney donor. We found my wonderful friend, Mike, and on April 26th 2017 he donated a kidney to me.

Today, I am married, working full time and doing my best. Although my kidney function is now back to normal and my most recent labwork had my transplant team using the word "thrilled!", my Lupus will always be there and it certainly reminds me of that most days. My most disruptive Lupus symptom is my fatigue, which threatens my ability to work on a constant basis. My wish is to see a cure in my lifetime so that I can go back to doing the daily activities I love, excel in my job and be more present for my family.

This is the 13 year anniversary of the Walk to End Lupus in Madison, Wisconsin, and I am so looking forward to it! I am celebrating 9 years since my life-saving kidney transplant, and continued good health, so please join us for a beautiful walk around the Pheasant Branch Conservancy trail! Returning this year is the wonderful big band music from my grandfathers band Dimensions in Sound from Dimensions in Sound and the Studio Orchestra (DISSO) which we all have come to love and look forward to on walk day!

Please join me in raising money for the continued research for a cure for Lupus.

Hope to see you there!

Jordan