I'm thrilled to be running London marathon 2025 and other events with my partner Emma who was diagnosed with systemic lupus eretherythematosus (SLE) at the age of 20.

Emma has been a testament of what somebody with Lupus can achieve and how a healthy and active lifestyle can help manage the condition.

Supporting this cause can help all people with lupus live full and active lives. Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes joint pain, skin rashes and tiredness. There's no cure, but symptoms can improve if treatment starts early. In people with Lupus the immune system is dysfunctional, mistakenly identifying the body’s own tissues as foreign invaders, causing the immune system to create autoantibodies to attack the body’s tissues. These form immune complexes which cause inflammation and damage – possibly affecting the organs and/or the joints in some lupus patients. Lupus is an uncommon, complex, and poorly understood disease. As such, many healthcare professionals, including General Practitioners, may not recognise the early signs resulting in a delay to referral and diagnosis. LUPUS UK is the only national registered charity supporting people with systemic lupus and discoid lupus, and assisting those approaching diagnosis.

For more information see the Lupus UK website: https://lupusuk.org.uk/

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