Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Rep. Kim Schofield

The lupus community includes people living with lupus, friends, family and supporters across Georgia. For Lupus Awareness Month, we would like to highlight some of our lupus heroes and champions. 

Rep. Kim Schofield, D - Atlanta, District 60

“I thought I was going to die only to discover I hadn’t begun to live.”

I was diagnosed in 2000. I was a single mom of my 8 year old (at that time) daughter, Kyler. I had been working at an intermodal company for over 5 years with a 3 hour daily driving commute; I was a leader in my church and an active parent. Kyler took dance and was in a number of extracurricular activities. We lived a life of faith, friends, family and fun!

After having a problem after seeing an Optometrist, I was instructed to get a check up with my Primary Care Doctor who determined my symptoms warranted a referral to a rheumatologist. After two visits, he prescribed 8 medications, handed me a “brochure,” told me I had LUPUS and to follow up in six months. My head was swimming...“What about my daughter, am I going to die? What is he talking about, Lupus – what is that? What is this…I never took medication much less 8 different types I couldn’t pronounce.” I was scared. I sat in my car and I began to pray. Immediately Psalm 118:17 welled up inside me, “thou shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” I can’t explain it but a peace came over me and I went home to told my daughter.

Suddenly, the symptoms intensified and began falling to sleep while driving to work. I got really sick and medically removed from work. While out on leave, my job fired me. I had always been stable but now I’m sick. I was a private person so only a few people knew. My family felt I should rest more, eat better and pray more and Lupus would disappear. We all know it’s not that easy.

Within the first year, I had lost my health insurance, job and income. In my second year of living with lupus, I had exhausted all my savings and retirement, I could barely get out of bed, my life had stopped. I was very afraid of my future and I was losing hope. Year three, I began to fight. I needed to find help, cure and resources. This seemed an impossible feat. Feeling alone and isolated, I wrote my story and sent it to CrossRoads Newsletter, a local newspaper in DeKalb to connect with others living with lupus. At our first meeting, 65 people showed up and we formed a Support Group known called Lupus and Empowering Community Support (“LACES”). I began to connect and engage with the Georgia Chapter of the Lupus Foundation in 2002. It was a breath of fresh air and gave me a ray of hope.

I met so many wonderful people who’s life was impacted by lupus and we had a bond, a level of understand that my friends or family would never understand. In 2003, I was able to return to work part-time. I volunteered with the LFA raising awareness and education and trying to identify resources. I had no health insurance and was in and out of the hospital several times. My medical debt forced me to have to file bankruptcy. I was devastated…ashamed. I had to leave my home and my daughter and I moved in with a friend for two years.

After 8 years of living with lupus, having unstable income, being sick and tire of being sick, I told the members of LACES that we had to step up our advocacy and use our voice.  I called members in the General Assembly (the Georgia Capitol). A longstanding LACES member and friend Betty McPherson and I went to the Capitol and former Sen. David Adelman helped us established our first Lupus Awareness Day at the Capitol.

I began to see how the impact of Lupus can shape legislative policy, help lots of people impacted by lupus, research to find a cure. The more I learned how to live with lupus, the better my life became. The more I told my story, talked about the amazing work through the LFA Georgia’s work, volunteered, met more people and took the focus off my life the more I began to live.

I have been blessed to work for over 12 years at Emory University with the Georgia Lupus Registry, the GOAL Cohort under the leadership of Dr. Sam Lim. In 2012, I was appointed under the Obama Administration on the Federal Health IT Committee making health recommendations and Rules to Congress.

Lupus was creating a pathway for me to walking in my purpose. I could not imagine that this devastating disease allowed me to live a life of hope, passion and purpose.

Our lupus community was doing amazing advocacy work in Georgia and D.C. In 2014, we were able to pass our first bill creating The Georgia Council of Education and Awareness (“GCLEA”). Our work continued and momentum was growing about lupus.

In 2017, I was elected to the Georgia General Assembly as a State House of Representative. In my first session, I was able to secure appropriations for lupus research and initiatives. My work continues.

Living with lupus allows me to live beyond what I could have imagined. Yes, I still get sick. Yes, I sometimes get depressed. Yes, I have daily pain. But Yes, I have hope! Yes, I am Blessed and Yes, I praise God that I am alive and live to declare the good works that He has destined for me.

I am living my best life with my best lupus self!

-Rep. Kim Schofield, D -Atlanta, District 60