PRESS RELEASE

Five Autoimmune Diseases. One Violinist. No Cure.
Violinist JoAnna Johnson hasn't let multiple autoimmune diagnoses overshadow her love for music. She will be a performer at AARDA's Annual Victorian Tea.

Eastpointe, MI - May 2, 2012: Violinist JoAnna "The Soul Stringer" Johnson will be the featured performer at the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association's (AARDA) 12th Annual Victorian Tea Luncheon and Auction. The event will be held on Saturday, May 12, 2012, the day before Mother's Day, at the Dearborn Inn from 11:30am until 2:30pm. Ticket prices are $55 for adults and $30 for youth.

Although JoAnna battles lupus, Sjögren's syndrome, fibromyalgia, and a rare form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, she is no stranger to autoimmune diseases.

"Strangely enough there is a very long history of autoimmune disease in my family. I have quite a few family members with sarcoidosis and quite a few with polymyositis. I've had relatives pass away from ITP (immune thrombocytopenic purpura). There is RA (rheumatoid arthritis) and many insulin dependent diabetics," JoAnna said.

JoAnna is one of 50 million Americans who have one or more of the 100+ diseases categorized as autoimmune. As a category, autoimmune diseases are the fifth leading cause of death by disease among females ages 15 to 44, and yet fewer than 13 percent of American's can even name an autoimmune disease.

The event will feature music and entertainment, auction, raffle, and prizes for hats and ensembles (it's tradition for guest to attend in Victorian, vintage, or contemporary dress). Tickets can be purchased for AARDA's 12th Annual Victorian Tea Luncheon by calling 586-776-3900. For more information about AARDA and autoimmune diseases visit www.aarda.org.

About AARDA
AARDA is the only national nonprofit health agency dedicated to bringing a national focus to autoimmunity, the major cause of serious chronic diseases. Approximately 50 million Americans, 20 percent of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected--some 30 million people--are women. Still, with these statistics, autoimmunity is rarely discussed as a women's health issue.
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