Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

A Father's Promise of Perseverance and Dedication

Tamira Lyles was diagnosed with lupus in 2001. If you knew Tamira, you knew that her feisty self was not going to take this diagnosis lying down! Together with her father, Mike Lyles, they embarked on an awareness campaign to spread lupus awareness across the country. 

They also dedicated countless hours volunteering for the Lupus Foundation of America, Georgia Chapter. Mike and Tamira were the founding family of our youth support group now called the Lupus Parent Project. 

Tamira lost her battle with lupus on December 6, 2010. And Mike, with the tenacity that he gave to his daughter, made a promise to Tamira to continue the fight to end lupus. The first walk after Tamira passed was rough for all of us. We had grown to love this young woman and we grieved her passing.

In 2012, we realized we needed to bring our walk logistics to a new level and Mike stepped up with more than 30 of his friends to execute a flawless walk. It was evident through how he commanded the respect of his peers that he was a true leader.

To this day, we can’t even imagine going into walk season without Mike’s support. In the month of September, we visited Augusta, Macon, Columbus and Atlanta, handing out walk day incentives and getting to know our walkers. Mike was with us every step of the way, loading the trucks, setting up at each venue and celebrating with us. 

Throughout each day, we could feel the presence of his sweet Tamira, cheering us on and reminding us to take lupus from a whisper to a shout. Thank you Mike, we love you!