LANSING — State Rep. Leslie Love (D-Detroit) has introduced House Bill 4422 to designate the month of April of each year as Sarcoidosis Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.
Love was inspired by Sheron Williams, the founder of the Michigan Unstoppable Warriors Sarcoidosis Group and other Sarcoidosis survivors. Williams is a patient ambassador for the Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research who advocated tirelessly with local and state officials to see the bill introduced.
“The tenacity and courage showed by Ms. Williams and other survivors in fighting this disease and working so hard to bring awareness to it truly moved me,” Love said. “They are a remarkable group of people, and with all that they have already overcome, I am sure they are unstoppable. I am proud to play a role in bringing the fight against Sarcoidosis into the light.”
Sarcoidosis is a debilitating and potentially deadly multi-organ inflammatory disease, estimated to affect 200,000 people in the United States. It occurs when a person’s immune system overreacts to presently unknown substance within the body, resulting in the formation of granulomas and microscopic clumps of inflammatory cells.
Patients can experience a wide range of symptoms including debilitating fatigue; shortness of breath; difficulties with balance and coordination; irregular heartbeat; visual problems, including blindness; mood disorders such as depression and anxiety; and organ failure.