Born and bred in Mahikeng, North West Province, Lolo Lekgoane is a vibrant 37-year-old, full of dreams, hopes, and great aspirations to change the world. 

13 years ago, her life took a drastic turn when she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, also known as SLE. Lupus is an autoimmune disease where the immune system constantly fights healthy tissues instead of diseases and bacteria because it can’t tell the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissues. 

As a result, it affects all the organs of the body, such as the kidneys, lungs, liver, heart, and even skin.

Lolo joins Yolanda Maartens in the OFM Family Focus to motivate you to live life without limits. She speaks about her journey with SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus) and how fighting to stay healthy has created awareness of the plight of others also faced by this autoimmune disease.

Lolo speaks about what she knew about the disease and that it was little besides that which she read on the internet, one of the things being the fact that it is that it was incurable. She also had the memory of her aunt dying at a young age due to late and misdiagnosis of the same disease.

That is where her inspiration to launch the Lolo Lekgoane Lupus Foundation was established. The aim of the foundation is not only to educate and create awareness about the dreaded disease but to offer support and counselling to those affected in going about living their lives as ordinarily as possible, knowing that they are not walking this journey alone. 

This is done in the form of workshops and wellness programs with the assistance of medical professionals.

The foundation targets schools in rural and urban areas. The disease mostly affects females under the age of 40, and most of the time, this is either due to not knowing of its existence or misdiagnosis.

Lolo is passionate about reaching as many communities as possible by improving the quality of their lives through programs of research, education, support, and advocacy. 

Her own journey of having spent time in hospitals more times than she wishes to mention, from losing her eyesight, being wheelchair bound, having to undergo chemotherapy and a whole lot of other challenges and also ultimately having to quit her job due to this disease inspired her to become an entrepreneur and an advocate for conquering this mysterious disease.

It is important to continue spreading the word through word of mouth and various platforms in order to amplify the voices of those living with the condition.

DISCLAIMER: This information is intended for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional for any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment.

OFM News mvh