Providing Answers, Support and Hope in Pennsylvania, Delaware and Southern New Jersey
Lannie Cardillo’s Lupus Journey
Follow Lannie's journey as she navigates medical challenges with the unwavering support of her parents and brother. From emotional comfort to life-saving kidney transplants, find inspiration in their unwavering bond through the toughest of times.
I was diagnosed with Lupus when I was 22 years old after several years of medical issues and countless doctor appointments with no answers. I don’t know what I would have done without the most amazing and vast support system. My main caretakers were and still are my parents. They've provided not only emotional support—listening to me vent, cry, and ask “why”— but also making me laugh as well as laughing at my gallows humor because it’s what I needed.
Both of my parents have gone above and beyond regardless of what I needed, including buying a new recliner chair because of how difficult it was to get up and down. They didn’t want to wait for more stock to come in, so I ended up with the floor model that day! My mom has been my strongest advocate with my doctors when I couldn’t (sometimes literally) talk, has spent days and nights with me at the hospital, while my dad has held my hand and kept me safe while screaming and crying in pain during a particularly difficult bedside procedure.
I can’t talk about support without mentioning my younger brother. Even when he was too young to fully understand what I was going through, he was there for me, checking in and making me laugh with the most inappropriate comments when I thought I might never laugh again.
Then in 2017, he made a decision that I will forever be grateful for after announcing that he was tested and identified as a perfect match for my kidney transplant.
I could very easily write a book about what I’ve had all my life, but never more so than for the past 29 years while living with Lupus. My family has been my cheerleaders, motivational speakers, cooks (offering anything to tempt my appetite during kidney failure), chauffeurs (making sure I made it to the hospital even in the worst snowstorms), selfless kidney donors, and, above all, the certainty that I would never be alone in this journey.
Show your support for Lannie at the Walk to End Lupus Now by donating to her team or registering to participate