On behalf of World Lupus Day, L.I.F.E. is excited to announce MACKENZIE HOOVER of New Hampshire as one of our recipients of the 2016 L.I.F.E. Awareness Award, sponsored by an Anonymous Individual Donor! These awards were created in 2015 in order to achieve the goal of awarding merit-based scholarships to students in all 50 states.

Like many people with lupus, the road to a diagnosis was a difficult one for Mackenzie. She saw many specialists, many of whom thought she was making up her symptoms or that she sought rescue from an abusive home. "...it was at that point that I realized they too didn't realize I was truly in pain and this made me very upset. Just because I wasn't fitting into their textbook diagnoses, I must be a hormonal teenager looking for attention." After being visited by many specialists, including psychologists, Mackenzie found a doctor who recognized her symptoms as lupus and diagnosed her in less than 12 months. She has learned much on this difficult road, including perseverance and the need to be "[her] own advocate." Mackenzie says lupus will be with me for life, it is how I choose to live with it that will be my success or defeat."

Click here to learn more about how you can sponsor an inspirational student like Mackenzie or send us an email at life4lupuscholarship@gmail.com.