By The Star Staff
Sen. Keren Riquelme Cabrera on Monday announced the filing of a bill that makes it possible for people diagnosed with lupus to request and obtain a sign for parking their vehicles in areas designated for citizens with disabilities.
“Lupus disease is prevalent in Puerto Rico,” Riquelme said. “According to the latest available data, one out of every 629 inhabitants on the island confronts this condition that disrupts the body’s immune system and triggers, in many cases, rashes on the face that manifest themselves in the cheeks and nose area, making it very uncomfortable for these patients to walk long distances outdoors,”.
“Faced with this reality, we accepted the petition on behalf of Lupus patients, and we filed this measure that makes life a little easier for these people, many of whom suffer terrible pain as a result of these skin eruptions that we know are part of the condition associated with this unique disease,” added the New Progressive Party senator, who expects the measure to be addressed quickly in the next regular session, which begins in January.
Lupus causes the immune system to become overactive, forming large amounts of antibodies that in turn attack the patient’s healthy tissues and organs, including the skin.
In Law 28-2018 as amended and Law 41-2022, lupus is considered a serious disease of a catastrophic nature and is grounds for a leave of absence from work. The majority of people impacted by lupus and all its modalities are women.