Compassion, Faith and Helping Others Cope

Lillian began serving in ministry in 1986, is currently a certified minister in the United Methodist Church and serves as a volunteer chaplain at the University of Maryland Regional Medical Center.

Throughout her life, Lillian has leaned on her faith to help get her through the toughest of times, of which none have been as complex and challenging as her fight against lupus.

While Lillian excitedly waited to give birth to her second child, she was diagnosed with lupus. Lillian experienced extreme body pains and exhaustion, hair thinning, rashes and protein in her urine.

Following her diagnosis, Lillian spent a month in the hospital – and further on her lupus journey received chemotherapy for two years, was on dialysis for three years and later had a kidney transplant.

“Lupus takes your mind and body through many changes that will make you want to give up,” Lillian shared. But she hasn’t given up. She has developed a closer relationship with God, a relationship that she needed while dealing with the many health challenges of lupus.

“My faith has allowed me to help others who are living with lupus and many other diseases,” shared Lillian. And she reminds people that lupus is a disease that can make somebody feel completely exhausted without energy to do anything – an aspect many don’t understand and that is hard to describe.

Lillian has a passion for spreading lupus awareness and uses her story to inspire others. She often tells people that are caring for or know somebody with lupus to be compassionate and understanding because everybody’s symptoms are different and each day may differ from the last.

“Lupus has led me to have a closer walk with God, and a strong dependence on him that I need every day in order to do ministry and encourage others.”