Back in January, we once again opened the application process for this year’s LupusChick award, which helps a special man or woman living with lupus – and in school – to pay for supplies, books, tuition, or other expenses. This year we are thrilled to give away our eighth award!
Typically, these financial stipends are donated through brands, organizations, individual sponsors or from our founder, Marisa Zeppieri and her husband Mickey.
For the year 2020, John Howard of Kentucky, along with the American Legion of Owensboro Kentucky, held a motorcycle run and raised money to give to a specific organization. Along with his friends, they decided they wanted to give it to a lupus organization in honor of their friend Todd Henderson who had lost his wife Christi to the disease on May 1 – the same day that Lupus Awareness Month kicks off globally each year. In her honor, we have named this stipend after her.
Our goal with the motorcycle run was to raise enough for one $500 award and were grateful to find out the run had brought in enough for four awards to be given over time!
This year, we were amazed by the essays we received – each story was so special and shared insight into how Lupus has affected each person in a different way. It was a tough decision for our board members, our LupusChick founder, and John and Todd.
In fact, the decision was more difficult than we imagined. Two stories stood out and we couldn’t choose one over the other, so we made an unexpected decision – to give out two of our LupusChick/Christi Henderson awards this year!
We are so excited to announce the winners:
- Allison Couri – Currently a law school student at Stetson University, Allison’s story of resilience and refusal to give up after suffering numerous massive strokes due to lupus and having to learn how to walk, write, and basically function all over again, truly touched our hearts. We have no doubt she is going to do amazing things in the future with her personal experience and her education in Law. Her goal, as written in her essay, is to: “become an advocate for people with disabilities” when she completes her law degree.
- Lindsey Stone – Currently wrapping up her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Western Kentucky University, Lindsey says she cannot wait to become a teacher and leave behind “an indelible mark that will change the lives of others.” With the awareness and education she has already shared with others about her own health issues and lupus itself, combined with her teaching degree, we have no doubt she will be a force to be reckoned with!
Stay tuned as we highlight both of our winners on our social media soon! We want to thank everyone who applied – reading your stories and what you have overcome has left a mark on each of our lives. We can’t thank Todd, John, and their friends and supporters for choosing LupusChick to bless the life of another person living with lupus – well, actually two people this year!
More soon – XOXO,
Marisa
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