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VALDOSTA, Ga. (WALB) - According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 9 out of 10 people with Lupus are women, most often between the ages of 15 and 44. With so many affected, the need for more rheumatologists is more urgent than ever.

Dr. William Tidmore Jr., SGMC Health Chief of Rheumatology one of the challenges with Lupus is that there is not a definitive test to screen but the only way to determine a diagnosis is with a ANA — Antinuclear Antibody Test after being symptomatic.

Tidmore says per month he receives more than 100 referrals for care.

One Valdosta teen, Kayla Calloway, has raised over $2,500 in honor of her mother, Tanyala Calloway, who passed away in 2019.

In later newscasts WALB News 10’s Brittanye Blake shares stories from those impacted by Lupus to understand the growing demand for care and what’s being done about it.

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