About J. Christopher Reed
“Suffering is the mother of realization; so long as we are not defeated by it, suffering becomes the raw material with which to construct lasting happiness.”
— Daisaku Ikeda
Obstacles are a part of everyone’s life, but it is what we do with those obstacles that truly matters. My mother often tells me, “God will never give you more than you can handle,” an interpretation of 1 Corinthians 10:13. I have repeated that mantra every time I became sick and every time I was hospitalized. I would pick myself up, wipe off the dust, and keep going. But this time, I need help.
I am in kidney failure, and I need a kidney transplant.
I have suffered from chronic, debilitating headaches since the age of eight. They were so severe and frequent that my parents withdrew me from public school and enrolled me in a private school. Over time, the headaches were joined by fevers, arthritis, and significant weight loss. I remember sitting in Driver’s Ed class, barely able to grip the steering wheel. Then came the chest pain. Walking up the stairs to my bedroom felt like someone was standing on my chest. At sixteen years old, I thought I was having a heart attack—it hurt just to breathe.
Eventually, I was admitted to intensive care. I suffered a seizure, and after weeks of testing, doctors discovered that my immune system was attacking my heart, lungs, brain, and gastrointestinal system. I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus—an unfamiliar name I eventually learned to pronounce and live with. Over time, I learned that lupus means my immune system can attack any part of my body as if it were a virus or bacteria. I often tell people that I am, quite literally, allergic to my own body.
Despite everything, I graduated from high school and then college—but not without struggle. I endured frequent attacks on my joints, heart, and lungs. At one point, I made the bold decision to attend law school. A few months after graduating, my immune system began attacking my kidneys.
I now have End Stage Renal Disease. This year alone, I have been hospitalized six times. I take fifteen medications daily, and physical therapy has become a regular part of my life. Even so, I continue to work hard and advocate for those in need. Learn more about my advocacy work
I will soon need dialysis—but dialysis is not my only hope. My hope is that a kind person, like you, will see this page and consider becoming a living kidney donor.
With each dawn comes new horizons.
Advocacy & Work
Tackling healthcare policy is Chris’s passion as a writer, advocate, lobbyist, health policy expert, and public speaker. He holds a bachelor’s degree with honors from the Georgia State University and a law degree from Tulane University. He worked in public and private litigation for 18 years, including working for three respected judges.
As a lobbyist, he has worked to eradicate challenges to health inequities that disproportionately affect women of color. He continues to co-chair the Georgia Chapter’s Advocacy Committee where he gives lectures on health advocacy, legislation, clinical trials, and public policy to people impacted by lupus across the State of Georgia. He continues to lead the Georgia Chapter’s advocacy day efforts in Georgia State Capitol and U.S. Capitol every year. Chris has spoken on the floor of the Georgia State Senate and at dozens of committee hearings. He was one of twelve panelists to give his story before the Food and Drug Administration at the historical Lupus Patient-Focused Drug Development meeting.
Chris was appointed by Governor Nathan Deal in 2015 to serve on the Georgia Council on Lupus Education and Awareness (GCLEA). Under his 5-year leadership, the GCLEA was charged with monitoring and developing programs for communities that lack access to adequate specialized lupus healthcare and lupus education. In 2019, he and the GCLEA launched a multidisciplinary task force called the Georgia Lupus Collaborative, made up of researchers, academics, lawyers, legislators, physicians, public health professionals, private entities, non-profit entities, and health advocates to tackle lupus and its impact on patients from multiple directions. The GCLEA now receives annual state appropriations from the Georgia General Assembly and governor to develop initiatives.
One of the jobs of the GCLEA was and is to facilitate sustainable partnerships in research, development, and professional education so that every lupus patient in Georgia has access to knowledgeable healthcare providers. Chris facilitated a partnership with the GCLEA, American College of Rheumatology, the CDC, and the state of Georgia to implement several initiatives. Through this partnership, over 500 school healthcare providers in Georgia and over 700 nationwide are now educated and equipped with materials specifically designed to improve the lives of students living with lupus. Patients in southwest Georgia now have access to lupus specialists in Atlanta due to a program initiated by Chris, and he has worked with numerous organizations around the country to increase minority participation in clinical trials.
During his off time, he leads two support groups – the men’s support group and the lupus nephritis support group. He is the contributing author of a book on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with doctors from across the world, and he has been interviewed by numerous local and national media outlets.
Awards & Recognition
Despite living with stage 4 kidney disease, Christopher has received numerous awards, including Living Better with Lupus and the Mary Cann Award. His advocacy work has been featured on national and local media, recognizing his dedication to improving patient lives and advancing lupus research.
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