Long Live Lupus? Column by Connie Chen
Long Live Lupus?
The King of Pop’s Secret Failure
(Connie Chen)
SPF 50. Dark-toned umbrella. Long sleeves. Gloves. The blazing sun roasts the air beyond boiling point. I sit in the shade, taking occasional peeks at my friend who lies calmly in the grass … in her bikini.
In a culture where tanning is a fashion statement, I, like the other 1.5 million lupus patients in America, cannot fit in. I share the same source of frustration with our very own King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
Dr. Arnie Klein, Jackson’s physician, told “Good Morning America” that he diagnosed Jackson with lupus long ago. Lupus, an autoimmune disorder that attacks body tissues, can force an otherwise typical individual into a world dictated by color-coded pills, jail her in the hospital for endless blood tests, or condemn her to grasp at the last days of her life with the assistance of machines. Jackson’s lupus, in particular, attacked his skin and led to his drastic depigmentation.
By keeping his condition a secret, he lost the chance to advocate for this under-funded disease. This is an illness that is still treated with drugs approved in the days of Dwight D. Eisenhower more than half a century ago. The side effects of these outdated drugs often outweigh the pain of lupus itself. Jackson’s fame, influence, and wealth could have promised hope, widespread sympathy, and ultimately an enhanced quality of life for many lupus patients. Had he found the courage and devotion to share his struggle with lupus, he might have comforted heartbroken families and inspired all who suffer from this deadly demon. Instead, he allowed lupus to steal even his potential to help fellow sufferers, leaving him shackled as much by lupus’s rarity as by its debilitating effects.
Demons like lupus haunt the lives of so many undeserving individuals. In a world where we struggle in our search for identity, what truly defines us is never the demon, but how we choose to confront it. We can only hope that the next celebrity to be diagnosed with lupus will take a closer look at their potential to make a positive impact on the lives of fellow sufferers.
