Living with Lupus: “It May Look Different, But Life Goes On”

Photo courtesy of Stacey Kennedy-Conner Living with lupus is a journey marked by resilience, and few stories capture this better than that of Stacey Kennedy-Conner. Diagnosed as a teenager, Kennedy-Conner has spent years navigating the unpredictable and often debilitating challenges of lupus. But rather than allowing her diagnosis to limit her, Kennedy-Conner has transformed her experiences into a powerful platform for advocacy and education. Today, she is not only a voice for lupus awareness but also a champion for increased diversity in clinical trials, with a special focus on communities of color who have historically been underrepresented in medical research. Early Symptoms and Diagnosis Kennedy-Conner’s journey began when she started experiencing unexplained symptoms at around age 13.  “I was starting to gain a lot of weight. I was heavier and lost a lot, as well. I was getting these rashes, but no one could really tell, at the time, what was going on,” she tells BlackDoctor.org. Despite these challenges, she managed to keep up with her schooling and day-to-day activities. By age 15, her symptoms had escalated to the point where she could no longer carry out her daily routines.  “I couldn’t do my daily activities. I had rashes all...