With every step that Airman Flynn took during a recent walk for the cure, she raised money while working to make a difference in fighting the disease.

‘‘Lupus is an autoimmune disease that is most commonly diagnosed in African American or Latino females between the ages of 15 and 44,” explained Airman Flynn. There are four main types of Lupus, to include Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Drug-Induced Lupus (the most common form), Discoid Lupus (a skin disease with a characteristic malar or ‘‘butterfly” rash) and Neonatal Lupus.

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus is the form of Lupus that is ravaging Airman Flynn’s family.

‘‘It’s troubling because most people believe that Lupus only affects women. However, men can also acquire this autoimmune disease. It is true however that most of those who have this disease are women, up to 90 percent, this is due to our production of estrogen,” she explained.

Meanwhile, as there is no cure for Lupus, Airman Flynn did what she could in walking for a cure with the Lupus Foundation of America. Airman Flynn’s participation, along with the other walkers, helped raise more than $5,000 toward finding a cure.

‘‘For me, it’s about making a difference – one step at a time,” Airman Flynn said.

For more information on Lupus, visit www.lupusgw.org.