The Disease of a Thousand Faces:
Lupus Awareness Campaign
What Is the Disease of a Thousand Faces?
Join the #DiseaseOfAThousandFaces campaign and help make lupus visible.
Lupus is often called the “disease of a thousand faces” because it affects everyone differently. No two journeys are the same — symptoms vary, diagnoses take time, and treatment is complex.
This campaign exists to shed light on this invisible disease by showcasing the faces and stories behind it.
How You Can Get Involved
Lupus Canada is seeking to gather 1,000 photographs of people living with lupus around the world to raise lupus awareness. Lupus is known as the “The Disease of a Thousand Faces” due to its wide-ranging symptoms and ability to mimic other diseases. Our goal is to create awareness for this debilitating disease so that folks better understand how lupus impacts not only those living with this disease but also how it impacts their family and friends.
Join the movement by taking a picture* of yourself so we can showcase the many faces of lupus. Share this campaign with your friends and through social media. We are also accepting stories of people’s journey with lupus.
Help Lupus Canada reach our goal by emailing a photograph of yourself and your story, should you wish, to ariana.ranjbar@lupuscanada.org or by using the form below.
*Lupus Canada will use the pictures and/or stories with the purpose of putting together a poster of all the submissions. Please note that we may also share the photos and stories on social media, on the Lupus Canada website and for other promotional purposes.
Join the Movement
Read Lupus Stories:
Caroline M., a lupus warrior, was featured in our Let’s Talk Lupus: Conversations with Macenzie. In her story, she shares her experiences navigating life with lupus, her journey to diagnosis, and how she’s learned to thrive with the support of her community.
Isabella C. is a lupus patient featured in our Let’s Talk Lupus resource hub. This photo captures her undergoing treatment while staying resilient and hopeful. Her story reflects the everyday realities and strength of living with lupus.
Nathan S. shares his powerful story as part of our My Lupus Story series. Seen here with his daughter in a cozy trailer setting, Nathan opens up about balancing parenthood, outdoor living, and life with lupus. His journey speaks to strength, family, and finding peace in nature.
Elizabeth L. opens up about her lupus diagnosis and the years it took to reach it, highlighting the challenges of being heard in the healthcare system. Her story is a powerful reminder of the importance of self-advocacy, perseverance, and spreading awareness about invisible illnesses like lupus.
Lupus - The Disease of a Thousand Faces – This is Alices’ Story
Every year, thousands of Canadians continue to be diagnosed with lupus – and many of them are children and teenagers, like Alice. Alice grew up healthy and happy, and like many other children her age, loved spending time with her family, going to school and dreaming about her future. With more than 1 in 1000 Canadians living with this debilitating disease, it is commonly referred to as the disease of a thousand faces, which can affect anyone, at any age. Lupus can be life-threatening, but with help from donors like you, researchers are able to keep working towards a cure. With your support, we hope to find better treatments and hopefully, one day, a cure, for people like Alice, and thousands more in Canada.