LAMORINDA WEEKLY | 'Walk for Adley' event raises much-needed funds for research


Nearly 300 participants join the Nov. 3 "Walk for Adley" in Lafayette. Photo provided

After the recent loss of 10-year-old Adley Osborne to a rare and terrible autoimmune disease, and in an effort to do something to help the many others in local schools and the community who are suffering from autoimmune disorders, more than 280 people participated in the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association's "Walk for Adley" on Nov. 3 in Lafayette, raising $11,646 to support critical research aimed at solving the underlying immune issues that link all autoimmune disorders.

According to AARDA, approximately 50 million Americans (20% of the population or 1 in 5 people) suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75% of those affected - some 30 million individuals - are women. Still, with these statistics, autoimmunity is rarely discussed as a women's health issue; and basic autoimmune research is significantly underfunded. AARDA has launched the Autoimmune Walk to change all this.

For information about AARDA, visit aarda.org.