Dame Libby Komaiko, professor, dance, is a fixture at NEIU. In 1975 she created and founded the Ensemble Espanol, the premier Spanish dance center and company in the United States to have "in-residence" status at a university. Since then she has tirelessly promoted the artistic, cultural and educational values of the Spanish tradition in the fields of music and dance. Now, Komaiko is applying her promotional prowess again, this time as a spokesperson for the Lupus Foundation of America.

This past spring, for the first time in her 35 years of teaching dance at NEIU, Komaiko took medical leave. As a dancer and artistic director of Ensemble Espanol, Komaiko is well acquainted with exhaustion, so she did not think much of her tired, anemic state when on tour with the group in Puerto Rico in 1994. However, on a day free of performance obligations she fell asleep on the beach and awoke to discover her face swollen due to a bad skin reaction to the sun. Her face marked with a butterfly-shaped rash, it was then she knew she was more than just tired. Upon her return home, Komaiko began the journey of doctor visits and tests that led to her diagnosis: systemic lupus erythematosus. Since then, Komaiko has aggressively fought back with prescribed medications, careful nutrition and a positive outlook.

A chronic (lifelong) inflammatory disease, lupus can affect a person's joints, kidneys, blood, and skin. There are four forms of lupus: systemic, cutaneous, drug-induced, and neonatal. In lupus, the immune system behaves abnormally. A healthy immune system protects the body from viruses, germs and bacteria by producing antibodies. Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which results in the body's inability to distinguish between the flu virus, for example, and healthy tissue. It is a disease of flare-ups and remissions. It is not contagious, it is not related to cancer or HIV, and it affects 5 million people worldwide, including 65,000 Illinois residents. Lupus ranges from mild to life threatening, but most people affected can live full lives with good medical care. "Lupus used to be a death sentence," said Komaiko as she spoke about her experience. "But the mind is much more powerful than the body."

Lupus is a disease Komaiko had to educate herself about first. When she was initially diagnosed, she knew virtually nothing about the disease, including the fact that thousands die from lupus every year. Lupus is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to those of many other illnesses, and major gaps exist in understanding the causes and consequences of lupus. More than half of all people with lupus suffer four or more years and visit three or more doctors before obtaining a correct diagnosis. Unfortunately, late diagnosis and delayed treatment contribute to poor outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality. There is no cure, no one test for the disease, and there has not been a new drug created to treat it in more than 50 years.

According to the Lupus Foundation of America website, Lupus can affect men and women from all races and ethnic groups. But, for unknown reasons, African-Americans and Hispanics experience a more aggressive form. As a Hispanic Serving Institution, Komaiko said it is especially important for NEIU to reach out and educate the community about this disease. Through its educational outreach programs, Ensemble Espanol has long sought and involved talented young Hispanics from the area in dance. In fact, in 1990 Mayor Richard M. Daley presented Komaiko with the "Brightener Award" for her efforts. But now Komaiko wants to raise awareness of lupus within the community. She said, "The Hispanic community has been underserved regarding lupus."

Komaiko recently shared her lupus story at a post-concert reception that concluded this year's American Spanish Dance Festival. Following Ensemble Espanol's gala performance on June 27, Komaiko spoke to attendees at a "meet the artists" reception. Ensemble Espanol also showed its support for Komaiko through her battle with lupus and donated a portion of the proceeds from that evening's concert to the Lupus Foundation of America, Illinois Chapter.