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Christian books sales are brisk, but
what is selling locally?
Lupus
group battles
disease with faith |
The River Street Church of God hosts a support group for those fighting
the autoimmune disease |
By Christie Scotty, Newberg Graphic
Reporter
Email Christie at cscotty@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 Since March, a group of people
have been meeting at Newberg’s River Street Church of God to talk about their
physical pain and spiritual faith.
Near the center of the group is Toni Charles of Newberg, who says she has suffered
with lupus since being diagnosed in 1979. At the dead center of the group, she says, is
God.
“My faith is so strong you can’t move me,” she said.
“Some people (in the group) are Christians but their faith is so shaken by this
disease.”
After launching the lupus and fibromyalgia support group in Newberg, Charles
has been attending board meetings for the Lupus Foundation of America’s Northwest
Chapter. She said she wants to bring her message that faith helps one through difficult
times to that organization, as well.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease which inflames body parts and varies in
severity from mild to rarer cases ending in death. It occurs most frequently in women and
symptoms include aching joints, fevers and chronic fatigue.
Currently, according to the Lupus Foundation of America, there is no single
test that can confirm whether a patient has lupus. Instead, doctors base decisions on 11
criteria common to lupus sufferers. With a disease that can’t always be proven or
disproved, many are told by doctors or loved ones that they are faking the disease.
The worst part, Charles said, is being told she’s crazy. She’s been
told she is inventing the problem and manifesting symptoms to get attention. She’s
flown through doctors and abandoned steroid treatments in favor of natural herbs.
“I’ve gone through so much with this stupid disease,” she
said.
She’s yet to find anyone who believes in her and will support her for
the long haul, she says, except for God.
God was missing in lupus support groups she attended while living in
California. Instead of group leaders who had lupus, she found support groups staffed by
people who just handed out brochures explaining what lupus is. “We already knew what
it was, we needed someone who understood,” she said.
She didn’t find that support in her family, which she describes as
dysfunctional.
“I literally only had God to lean on and you can’t touch him and
you can’t hear him say ‘it’s going to be OK,’” she said.
Now the 15 to 20 women, who come from Beaverton, Portland and McMinnville to
meet at the church on River Street the third Thursday of each month, have each other to
speak the same message.
“Being Christian is totally different,” she says of the ministry.
“We talk ... and they need to get that out and have each word they’re saying
heard and have it understood.” |
|
From July 5,
2003, Newberg Graphic
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