THE 10TH ANNUAL FLIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLIES
Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories
Flight of the Butterflies, Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories is a lupus awareness campaign sharing stories of the brave lupus warriors. Many don’t understand lupus until they hear the walk of a warrior. Flight of the Butterflies, Butterflies of Hope Warrior Stories is dedicated to sharing those stories in May for lupus awareness month.
Flight of the Butterfly Kiara Walker
My name is Kiara Walker. I was diagnosed with lupus when I was 16 years old and a senior in highschool. I follow Lupus in Color on instagram and wanted to share a letter I had written to lupus with you. My story with lupus has not been too bright and I feel like there are a lot of diagnosed people who feel the same as me. I want to bring awareness to the dark side of a chronic illness and an invisible illness like Lupus. One thing Lupus has never taken from me is my love of writing and it helped me express the way Lupus has made me feel.
Dear Lupus,
Thank you but I hate you. You have shown me the strength and perseverance I never knew I had. You have taken so much away from me. As a young adult you have taken away my childhood. All of the mistakes I should have been able to make. You stole everything away right from underneath me. I will never be the healthy spontaneous wildfire I used to be. With you I must be organized, thoughtful and strategic. These are all good things yet it saddens me more. I can’t be careless so thank you. I will never forgive you for what could have been.
I was ambitious and ready to flow whichever way the wind would take me. Now I hesitate to be even a little bit adventurous. You have shoved me into a shell that I can not seem to leave. After you have crashed into my life you have created a new me. The exact one I am proud to call myself. Lupus you made me a fighter. You have given me a fight that will never end yet I can apply what I have learned from you to other aspects of my life. You have shaped me into a well rounded and thoughtful adult, yet you frighten me down to the very core of my being.
I am frightened for how my life will end due to you. You affect my body in unexplainable ways. Will my parents outlive me? Will I be able to walk down the aisle? Will I graduate college? Will I have my own biological family? These are the questions you have stirred inside me yet there is no clear answer. It’s all a maybe. I have read the statistics. I have the odds against me, so yes I hate you. I wish I could leave you but you are a part of me. I guess you could call us a joint package. Oil and water. Creaky bones and bruised knees. Young and old at the same time. None make any sense but you don’t make any sense do you? Didn’t think so. I don’t have friends because of you, not because you won’t let me but because I am scared I can’t be what people would want me to be. There is no such thing as spontaneous get togethers and planned ones aren’t really a thing either. You make it hard to work but you are too expensive for me not to work. Dying ain’t cheap either is it? Nope didn’t think so. So you are an impossible disease. You make me look normal on the outside but make sure to beat my insides into a pulp. You are an invisible disease for sure. I really do hate you.
Sincerely,
Kiara
Lupus In Color is excited to present Kiara’s story to the world. As a Lupus Warrior she is actively promoting lupus awareness and wearing the armor of strength in doing so.
Lupus In Color Salutes Kiara. YOU ARE BRAVE, COURAGEOUS, AMAZING and STRONG!
YOUR BUTTERFLY WINGS ARE FLUTTERING, YOUR CHIN IS UP, YOUR ARMS ARE EXTENDED AND YOUR CHEST IS OUT! FLY ON BUTTERFLY!
FLY ON!
PLEASE SHARE Kiara Walker’s FLIGHT ON YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND START HER BUTTERFLY JOURNEY SPREADING LUPUS AWARENESS!
#LupusInColor #ButterfliesofHope #FlightoftheButterflies #Brave #Courageous #Strong #SpreadLupusAwareness #LupusWarriorStories
