Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Georgia

Thirty-One Faces of Hope: Salathiel Deloach

The lupus community includes people living with lupus, friends, family and supporters across Georgia. For Lupus Awareness Month, we would like to highlight some of our lupus heroes and champions. 

Salathiel Deloach

In the year of 2001, I graduated from high school at the age of 18 and this was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life after the many curve balls life pitched me in my youth. Those curve balls came in the form of Menorrhagia, Narcolepsy, and exit exams.  

After graduation, I awoke the next morning to intense pain in my body and feet that were swollen to the size of footballs making it nearly impossible to walk. My parents took me to the emergency room, where my life changed forever. 

In the ER I presented my swollen extremities, a stomach sensitive to the touch, which turned out to be kidney failure, a scar on the bridge of the left side of my face (butterfly rash), and rashes on my arms. The doctor looked at me and immediately said “you have lupus.” 

I stayed in the hospital for what seemed like months, and there were some scary days where lupus attacked my body with a vengeance. The kidney failure caused my body to tailspin out of control and it took time for me to recover. 

There came a point when I lost my insurance, the use of my limbs due to complications from medication which resulted in me gaining weight and my ability to walk. I was once full of life and very independent. This new life caused me to feel like I lost me, and I was now very dependent. Through it all, I thank God daily for my parents. They prayed for me, did what they could to keep me in a positive space mentally and encouraged me that this space of my life would pass. 

My church family of Greater Mt. Bethel Holiness Church was also a great source of encouragement.  Youth meetings were every Tuesday and as a result of me losing the use of my limbs, I was home bound and couldn’t attend. Me being home bound didn’t stop them from showing up. They showed me they cared, missed and loved me. They changed the meeting from the church to my home a few times and it felt amazing to be in their presence. This was yet another motivating factor to get back on my feet.  

As my health improved, I was able to return to work and I am blessed to be able to say that though I may have had some difficult days I have been working ever since. When I returned, I was a part time employee but with time I became a full-time employee. In addition to returning to work I also began college where I obtained both an associate degree in computer information and a few years later my bachelor’s degree in management which I use daily in my current role. 

On this journey of lupus, I have learned a great deal about myself and others. I’ve changed the way I see myself, what I choose to believe, and what I speak over myself. I see myself alive with much to give the world. I speak life, which gives me a chance to be appreciative and live it fully. I may not feel well everyday but, I’m still here to help someone along on their journey. I realize that this life I live is bigger than me and my complaining won’t change anything, so I choose to be thankful in all things.  

-Salathiel Deloach