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Recently, the Niagara-Wheatfield JV Softball team raised not only Lupus awareness, but also over $800 for the Lupus Alliance of Upstate New York.
Lupus, as described on lupus.org, is “a chronic autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years.
“In lupus, something goes wrong with the immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (foreign invaders, like the flu). Normally our immune systems produce proteins called antibodies which protect the body from these invaders.
“Autoimmunity means your immune system can not tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues. As a result, it creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue.
“These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.”
The team is pictured, above, with Jim and Lialani Bessing, and Linda Johnson. Johnson is the sister of Wheatfield coach Kevin Schucker, and has been battling Lupus for the past 24 years.
The event was one of several cause games that N-W athletics has conducted over the past school year.