A 16-year-old girl wants to help others and raise awareness about lupus, an autoimmune disorder.
Haley Wetzel, Pottsville, who was diagnosed with lupus at age 7, is hosting a Chinese auction and bake sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 31 at the First United Methodist Church, 330 W. Market St., Pottsville. Proceeds will go toward lupus research at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.
"You don't hear a lot about lupus. A lot of people don't really know what it is," Wetzel, a 10th-grade student at the Pennsylvania Cyber School, said.
The event could let people know about the condition, she said.
"I don't know how much of a difference I can make, but I can try," Wetzel said.
Some people have already donated to the event. Gift cards, a one-month gym membership, pizza, a circular saw and cleaning supplies are just some of the items available during the auction. To donate, items may be dropped off at 1238 Cedar St., Pottsville, or call 570-789-3324 by May 29.
Winners can take their items with them that day.
Dr. Lisabeth V. Scalzi, a lupus research doctor in Hershey, will speak about the disorder at 3:30 p.m. during the event.
Lupus is characterized by the body's immune system attacking healthy tissue, sometimes causing long-term joint inflammation, according to PubMed Health at www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. The cause of the condition is not known.
"Basically, your body is attacking itself," Wetzel said.
About 1.5 million people in the United States and five million people worldwide are diagnosed with the condition, according to the Lupus Foundation of American.
Men and women can be affected. However, most of those who have the disorder are women, the Lupus Foundation said.
Symptoms include sensitivity to the sun, lethargy, fever, swelling of different parts of the body and headaches. Organs such as the kidneys and lungs can be affected.
"It's starting to affect my lungs," Wetzel said, adding that she sometimes has trouble breathing.
Medicine can help stem the severity of the disorder. There is no cure for lupus, her mother, Renee Wetzel, said Tuesday.
A definite diagnosis of the disorder can take years, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases said.
"It's an unpredictable disease," Julia Williams, Haley's grandmother, said.
A man Haley's family met in Disney World, Florida, while on vacation when Wetzel was 6 years old suggested she might have lupus. Wetzel went to eight doctors before being diagnosed at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Diagnosed at age 7, Wetzel said she has not had a normal childhood.
The number of times she has to see doctors at Hersey for checkups depends on how bad her symptoms are at any given time. If in particular pain or discomfort, Wetzel said she may have monthly checkups, but if symptoms are mild she may go months without seeing a doctor.
Spending time outdoors in the sun is difficult unless it is after 6 p.m. because she is sensitive to sunlight, Wetzel said. She added that she has frequent headaches, loss of skin and medication is not helping control her symptoms at this time.
"It's definitely nothing I want anyone to deal with," Wetzel said.
Still, she said she tries to keep a positive attitude.
Wetzel has support from family and friends and has a Facebook page, Team Haley Against Lupus, to let people know of her condition.
May is Lupus Awareness Month, with two holidays dedicated to educating others about the disorder and spreading support: World Lupus Day, today, and Lupus Awareness Day, May 16. World Lupus Day was founded 10 years ago after 13 different nations met in the United Kingdom and called for observation of the disorder over a greater distance, according to www.worldlupusday.org. A program called Put on Purple for Lupus Awareness is held on the May 16 awareness day.