Every single day Postcrossing lights up thousands of smiles across the world, literally making it a happier place. We are very proud of that and so should you! And today, Postcrossing brings to you an initiative that allows you to create even more smiles through your postcards. Interested? Read on.
On the 10th of May it’s International World Lupus Day, which has the goal of bringing more awareness over this chronic disease that affects over 5 million people worldwide. If you don’t know what Lupus is, here’s a quick summary:
Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body (skin, joints, and/or organs inside the body). Chronic means that the signs and symptoms tend to last longer than six weeks and often for many years. In lupus, something goes wrong with your immune system, which is the part of the body that fights off viruses, bacteria, and germs (“foreign invaders, ” like the flu). Normally our immune system produces proteins called antibodies that protect the body from these invaders. Autoimmune means your immune system cannot tell the difference between these foreign invaders and your body’s healthy tissues (“auto” means “self”) and creates autoantibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. These autoantibodies cause inflammation, pain, and damage in various parts of the body.
Lupus occurs nine times more often in women than in men, especially between the ages of 15 and 50, but it can also affect men, children, and teenagers develop it too. To learn more about Lupus, check Wikipedia or the Lupus Foundation of America.
So, how is this related with postcards? The German Lupus Association and Postcrossing have joined efforts around the World Lupus Day, and you can participate too! We call it LupusCrossing – Butterflies are crossing the world and all you have to do is to send a butterfly postcard (butterflies are the Lupus symbol) to the address below to express your support towards Lupus patients on this special day. The goal is to bring worldwide awareness to this problem while at the same time bring smiles to those affected by the disease. You can write on the postcard whatever you want, and you can ask questions about Lupus too.
All received postcards will reach the hands of Lupus patients. In return, the German Lupus Association will send thank you postcards to 3 randomly chosen Postcrossers of each country they receive postcards from so don’t forget to write your address on the card! A photo of the postcards received will appear on their website. Moreover, the German Lupus Association plans to design a roll-up display out of these cards that will be shown throughout the 80 regional groups.
Ready to spark some smiles? Then grab a postcard with a butterfly and send it to:
Simone Müller-PretisSecretary to German Lupus Association
Weg zum Sportplatz 4
97076 Würzburg
Germany
And don’t forget to check the German Lupus Association website for the progress.
Happy LupusCrossing!
62 comments so far
Great idea, and we just got new stamps with a butterfly here in Denmark, perfect. A card is on the way.
I've never heard of this desease so far. I will send a card because it's a very good idea!
I think my daughters teacher has theis disease so I am grateful for the chance to learn a little more. Just trying to track down a card with a butterfly now!
I will send a card too. I know of at least one Postcrosser with this disease. Maybe our cards can put a little smile on peoples faces. :-)
I am sending a card. What a great idea to lift someone's spirit.
Great idea. I will send a card. Hope to increase their smile.
I was diagnosed with Lupus in 2005, after having symptoms for most of my life and having doctors tell me it was either stress or all in my head. I am so grateful to postcrossing and the German Lupus Foundation for doing this! This makes me very excited, that this community is getting the word out about Lupus! I will definately participate! THANK YOU!!
A friend of mine with lupus died because she couldn't fight off an infection. Even paper cuts while taking things out of the file could cause infectious reactions. Immune deficiency illnesses generally are a huge challenge to those afflicted. Lupus affects the joints so that patients have chronic pain. Thank you! I will seek out a butterfly card as soon as possible.
This is a fantastic idea! The selection of postcards in my area is very limited (mostly tourist cards), but I have an order from Pomegranate due to arrive any day. Hopefully there will be a nice butterfly card in that package that I can send off.
I also agree with solarts66 to make this idea a monthly thing - a different charity each month. I have MS and it is similar to Lupus in many respects. It would be great to see this idea continued onto the International MS Society among other great charities. :-)
WOW - Sounds like a wonderful idea and I'm sure there will be a lot of Smiling going around:-D
I will send a few Butterfly cards, just to add the smiles total!!
I didn't know very much about lupus but I think it's important to notice it as a woman. I'll find butterfly postcard (or maybe handmade one) and fly it to the great project.
A handmade postcard is flying to Würzburg right now...
Great idea! I'll think I'll make my own butterfly cards, 'cause I don't have any of them 'in stock'.
This is a fantastic idea, I know many people with this disease, I'll tell them about this project. Thanks a lot ^^ !
Being a lupus patient myself, I will certainly send a postcard! It's a great opportunity to raise lupus awareness, especially in Europe- we don't have such a big organization as the Lupus Foundation of America here and therefore not enough people know about the desease.
Amazing idea! I'll search a postcard to send :)
Great idea! My grandmother had lupus, she was always in pain.
Great idea! Me and my friends are currently busy planning an event for Backstreet Boys fans to raise money for lupus as well. Backstreet Boy Howie lost his sister Caroline, to this terrible disease.
We've raised quite some money now, which we're going to donate to the Dorough Lupus Foundation, Howie's foundation.
LupusCrossing is a wonderful idea to connect lupus patients who suffer enormously from this rare disease, and people around the globe who have probably never heard about lupus.
As a lupus patient, I am overwhelmed by your replies.
Each card will contribute to more awareness on lupus, and will be a ray of sunshine for lupus patients all over the world who don't have much sunshine in their life.
Of course I will definitely participate in LupusCrossing ;-)
The first card arrived today from Denmark;
have a look:
http://87.106.1.68:8080/LupusWebauftritt/jsp/oeff_lupustag_lupuscrossing2009.faces
Thank you, Dorthe, for the first LupusCrossing card!
And a big hug to all postcrossers sending a card!
Happy LupusCrossing!
Reading each and every persons response has put me in tears. It is beautiful that the people who don't know about this aweful disease want to learn and that everyone here wants to be part of the group to spread awareness.
We have no butterfly postcards here but myself and my six y.o. son (who also has an account on here) will do anything we can to find or make them. You can count 2 more smiles in.
This is such a wonderful idea and a very good information about Lupus!Thank you!I will for sure send a card and I hope it will bring atleast a smile!:)
It's an amaizing idea. I'm definely going to send one. Hope it will bring a smile to someones face :)
i do
Deeply moved, I look at the butterflies received and read the cards with tears in my eyes ...
http://87.106.1.68:8080/LupusWebauftritt/jsp/oeff_lupustag_lupuscrossing2009.faces
This is a wonderful idea! I'll sure send a card or maybe even some cards :)
What a great idea! Thank you Simone and Paulo ! I will send a card tomorrow 8->)
I like this idea and have sent a postcard off today. I had a friend who suffered from this disease and I used to ring her in USA just to brighten her day.
Years ago, I know something about lupus from a novel . Hope the postcards from afar can warm greetings the patients heart.
Lupus is more common (and getting more common) than people think, but not many people know about it. My friend's aunt died from Lupus, and one of my students has Lupus. I hope this project can spread more awareness about the disease, and yes, it's strange that women get it much more than men - more research is definitely needed to find out why, and if it can be treated through means other than present-day conventional Western medicine.
I am also a Lupus patient. May I make a handmade postcard and send?
Great!! I will serch a postcard!
I think this is such a great project and support it as well :) It's a brilliant and fun way to raise awareness and support. Lupus has always been a medical mystery for me because I've heard about it but never really grasped the concept of it. As soon as I go to town, I shall hunt down a nice butterfly card and send it as well :)
Very nice idea, i will be send a postcard...i will try to make a beauty handmade...
I have sent a postcard today. I hope they get lots of postcards.
I sent my homemade butterfly card across the world, and sent another one to the next town over to our family friend who has lupus. I know it will brighten her day and I hope it will brighten a strangers day too! =)
Great idea! I'm sending one now. It was in my collection. It's a postcard with an image from a painting that Renato Ranazzi made for Spoleto.
Great idea! I'm sending one now. It was in my collection. It's a postcard with an image from a painting that Renato Ranazzi made for Spoleto.
In the meantime, 48 cards from 15 countries arrived.
Lupus patients around the world are moved about the support and wishes you all give to them.
Keep on LupusCrossing! :-)
Next cards will be published tonight on:
http://87.106.1.68:8080/LupusWebauftritt/jsp/oeff_lupustag_lupuscrossing2009.faces
I want to send some postcards but I have a question, do I have to write only the message and leave the name and address field blank, and send the postcard inside an envelope, so they can be re-sent to lupus patients? Or I just send them as regular postcards to the address given?
As someone who was recently diagnosed with this disease, I will definitely be sending a postcard.
Have you all seen how many postcards have already been sent to the project? They are lovely. There is also a bio of Paulo and postcrossing. So far -- http://tinyurl.com/dyqkzv and http://tinyurl.com/crr7o2
Simone , today i sent the postcard!!
Hugs.
@ lkun: Just a postcard would be fine - it will reach lupus patients in any case.
Today, the 102nd card arrived! The support you are giving is overwhelming! A big butterfly HUG to all of you!
LupusCrossing is now online on www.worldlupusday.org (see activities around the globe).
Keep on LupusCrossing!
My butterfly will be flying to Germany tomorrow.
Just found two butterfly postcards today and will send them out! :)
Good idea..I will send card too..
In the meantime, 161 cards have arrived from 34 countries around the world! The words on these cards and the support given to Lupus patients are so touching. Thanks to LupusCrossing, patients around the globe are aware that they are not alone in their fight against this disease.
You are amazing! Keep on LupusCrossing!
Am I too late??? Only now I found a butterfly postcard... I'll send it, in any case ;)
@ kazinhabueno
You are not too late ;-)
Solidarity to lupus patients is always welcome and never too late.
Today the 208th card from 37 countries arrived.
Your support is incredible! Thank you!
The cards will be shown (for the first time) in public on Saturday (May 9) when we will have an information desk in Würzburg city centre.
Keep on LupusCrossing!
This was such a great idea, I have also sent a nice postcard.
I just found a butterfly card today, I hope I'm not too late! =)
Thank you for the postcard with all the butterflies. When I saw, that so many people as 251 people have sent a postcard I was happy. It was a great idea with Lupuscrossing. I think that many now knows what it is. Danish TV showed a program about it 4 or 5 months ago.
In few days you can see the postcard here:
www.vestvendsyssel.webbyen.dk
Thank you Simone on card for my friend (lupus patient). She was very surprised and happy.
This is really great project.
Thank You Simone for the LUPUSCROSSING card!What a nice surprise :)
My card was 250th postcard on this project :)
Thank you Simone for the card you sent me - I was really touched by your kindness.
Thanks a lot Simone. This is a wonderful project and I m looking forward to next one =)
Thank you Simone for my nice Butterfly surprise Postcard....it was nice to see my 2 cards on the 2 Photo's that was published here!!
I too want to thank Simone for the return card from her Lupus Crossing event. It is quite lovely.
Dear Simone, Thank you for the beautiful butterfly card.
I would like to participate! Activities still continue?
I too got a Thank you card from Simone. Thank you
I receive today a postcard of Simone and a very kind message . Thank you very much et bon courage et mes félicitations à votre association .J'encourage les participants à se manifester plus nombreux .
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