PlattForm embraces employee through Lupus walk sponsorships

On the day she takes a stand against a degenerative disease, Brooke Taylor may not feel like standing at all. Her body, it seems, has taken a disliking to itself. Some days it can give her the strength to make it through 10 hours of work. On other days, it misfires, forgetting to supply the energy or support needed for her fight with Lupus.

Brooke, an analyst in PlattForm’s Media Department, has refused to let the disease conquer her, even at those times that are particularly debilitating. She has become an inspiration for many of her closest colleagues and the company as a whole by fighting back against the condition that has incapacitated so many.

Together with help from our employees, Brooke has raised almost $4,000 for the “Walk with Us to Cure Lupus” walkathon, sponsored by the Alliance for Lupus Research. The event, which is held in cities throughout the US, raises both funds and awareness for Lupus research and 100 percent of all donations go to support medical research.

Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system turns against the body's own cells and tissues, causing inflammation and tissue damage. Not one person has the same symptoms as the next, making the disease hard to detect. Brooke’s primary symptoms are chronic fatigue and severe joint pain.

“Getting involved with the ALR and the walk has been very healing for me,” Brooke said. “I was diagnosed with Lupus this August 2005, so everything about the disease is new to me. I feel that the walk came at a great time for me personally because the support from family and peers has been amazing.”

To show our support for Brooke, PlattForm employees purchased “feet” that have been plastered all over our office windows to show our sponsorship of the walk. Larger than this single event, though, is the employee backing of a cause much larger than any one person – finding a cure for Lupus.

Research for Lupus is important because there is not a specific medication that can be prescribed for it. All the medications prescribed to Lupus patients have violent side effects that can be just as devastating as the disease itself.

Brooke became involved with the cause through the encouragement of one of her closest friends. She approached the philanthropic committee at PlattForm to see if they wanted to get involved with the walk as their charity for May. In response, the committee issued company-wide emails about how to get involved by donating and registering for the walk.

The overall goal for Kansas City was set at $50,000, but has already been surpassed at $53,000. PlattForm employees have donated $500 to Brooke’s total through a corporate sponsorship.

“I never thought I would get the response that I have,” Brooke said. “I was so proud that PlattForm decided to get involved with this great cause because one of their employees is affected by Lupus. Also, my family, friends, and people I don't even know have contributed greatly towards achieving my goal.”

This Saturday, whether Brooke feels like standing or not, a group of PlattFormers will gather at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Mo., to participate in the Lupus walk. A second company-wide e-mail was sent this afternoon ensuring another solid response from our employees. And, given the degree of support she has received to this point, Brooke will be far from alone as her trek with this disease begins.