Man Running 100 Mile Ultra Marathon to Raise Money for Lupus Foundation

A man who works for Watertown-based FORMA Therapeutics will run a 100-mile race to raise money to find a cure for Lupus.

Thomas Tan wrote the following donation request for his effort to raise $10,000 for the Lupus Foundation of America (See his fundraising page here):

Did you know that an estimated 1.5 million Americans, and at least five million people worldwide, have some form of lupus? A chronic, unpredictable and debilitating autoimmune disease, lupus can affect a major organ such as the heart, lungs, kidneys or brain in approximately half of the patients. To appreciate how devastating this disease is, please watch this heart-breaking story: http://youtu.be/_7P1UNCMG00?list=UUPVIIwfYm5i5JniLtVhu1JA

There is no cure for lupus and scientists are working hard to develop better and safer therapies for lupus: https://lnkd.in/eiwDsiY

But, drug discovery and development can take many years, which is why it’s important to consider other ways to impact patient lives. Raising awareness and engaging the public is an important way to make an impact on research priorities, while inspiring the next generation of healthcare providers to tackle unmet medical needs. I am participating in the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Run on August 20-21 to help raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA). LFA is the only non-profit, nation-wide organization devoted to solving the mystery of lupus, while giving caring support to those affected by the disease. To learn more about the wonderful work being done at LFA, please watch this short introduction to the Foundation’s mission: http://youtu.be/3vgy7e_Tq4Q

Lupus represents an enormous challenge because the need for medical interventions is so great. In this regard, long-distance running is a metaphor in that finding a cure for lupus is not a sprint. Not even a marathon. It is a very long and arduous race with significant and unpredictable hurdles. In this regards, the Leadville 100 Ultramarathon is symbolic of the perseverance, courage and patience which one needs to fight lupus.

Can I count on you for your support? Together we can make a difference. Thank you so much.

To donate go to: http://lupus.donorpages.com/Raise4Lupus/ThomasTan/