Lupus Oman held an event today at the National University of Science and Technology, to raise awareness on the autoimmune disease. The event included several activities from yoga and games, to presentations from doctors and Lupus patients.

Lupus Oman first started in 2020, after Mazzan al Farsi approached a nurse, asking her to share her contact details with other Lupus patients in order for them to start a support group.

Mazzan’s journey with Lupus started when she was four. Her blood platelet count suddenly started to drop, she refused to eat and drink, and her weight drastically decreased. Her mother took her from hospital to hospital and from country to country. She suffered through multiple misdiagnosis, and no doctor could accurately diagnose her, until finally, two doctors in Oman managed to make sense of her symptoms.

“Many Lupus patients suffer in the same manner, as getting a diagnosis is not easy,” she said.

The symptoms of Lupus range from mild to severe, and they can include, but are not limited to, any of the following: arthritis, heart failure, rashes, hair loss, fatigue, kidney problems, pulmonary problems, swollen joints, gastrointestinal problems, and thyroid problems. This makes diagnosing the disease very difficult, as the symptoms mimic those of other, more common, diseases.

Since Lupus is an autoimmune disease and can potentially affect all organs, from the heart and lungs, to the skin and bones, this means that many patients require the help of doctors from different specializations.

The logo of Lupus Oman is a purple butterfly. Purple, because it is a combination of red and blue, which symbolize motivation and calmness respectively, and a butterfly to symbolize the butterfly-shaped rash that appears on the face of many Lupus patients, covering the cheeks and the bridge of their nose.

According to al Farsi, the support initiative mainly aims to find doctors who are willing to educate Lupus patients and the general public about the illness, create a supportive environment for patients who suffer from the disease, and find other people who are willing to support the cause, in various ways.