LOLA’S 3RD ANNUAL HEPATITIS C WALK RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT DANGERS & IMPORTANCE OF GETTING TESTED FOR VIRUS

Hundreds led by LOLA President Debbie Delgado-Vega, Christopher Kennedy Lawford and City Council Majority leader Joel Rivera Call Attention to Disease Affecting Increasing Numbers in New York and Around the World

NEW YORK, NY – May 15, 2007 - Debbie Delgado-Vega, a two-time liver transplant recipient and founder of the Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA), kicked off the 3rd annual Hepatitis C Walk today by joining hands with actor-author Christopher Kennedy Lawford, who has been diagnosed and successfully treated for the virus, and City Council Majority Leader Joel Rivera, to lead hundreds of supporters on a one-mile walk from Battery Park to City Hall Park. The walk was organized to draw attention to the rising incidence of the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and the importance of getting tested for the disease.

A blood-borne viral infection that is four times more prevalent than HIV, Hepatitis C has infected 342,000 New Yorkers, 5 million individuals in the United States and as many as 300 million people worldwide. Over the past 10 years, Hepatitis C has been the leading cause of liver transplants in the U.S. and recent reports indicate that the incidence of the Hepatitis C Virus is dramatically on the rise in New York as well as among segments of the population in other cities. In addition, a study released last week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that people infected with HCV may be at increased risk for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as well as several other life-threatening disorders.

As they lined up outside Clinton Castle in Battery Park to register for the walk, supporters were treated to a festival of artistic and musical performances that included an appearance by comedian Richard Ramirez, who served as the event’s master of ceremonies, and the renowned Latin Urban music group Del' Patio. Ramirez and one of the members of Del’ Patio, William R. a.k.a. “Sensato,” are both recipients of liver transplants. Promptly at noon, Delgado-Vega and Lawford led the throng of HCV public health advocates, doctors, medical professionals, supporters and others touched in some manner by the HCV virus on a spirited trek to City Hall Park. Along the way, they were met by the Honorable Joel Rivera, City Council Majority Leader who, with the Council, has been a major supporter of the campaign encouraging New Yorkers to get tested and treated for the disease.

While the Hepatitis C Virus is extremely prevalent in Hispanic communities, medical experts estimate that one in five members of the general population have engaged in an activity that puts them at risk for the disease. These activities include: receiving a blood transfusion prior to 1992; being HIV/AIDS positive, having been infected with other viral Hepatitis (A-B or both), having tattoo or body piercing; sharing a toothbrush or a shaving razor. Getting a manicure, using cocaine intranasally, or having been employed as a healthcare worker can also expose one to the virus. Adding to the danger is the fact that HCV is a “silent disease” -- less than five percent of those with HCV are aware that they have been infected by the virus. Left untreated or undetected, the Hepatitis C Virus can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer or death.

“As we encourage individuals to make a positive choice to get tested for Hepatitis C, our hope is that our future generation will implement the prevention and education methods that we have set forward here today in order to eliminate the spread of this virus among our community at large,” said Debbie Delgado-Vega, Founder and CEO of LOLA.

“Having been successfully treated for hepatitis C, I feel lucky to have a chance to help others better understand this virus,” said Christopher Kennedy Lawford. “As a former New Yorker, I am excited to be in town participating in the Hepatitis C Walk with LOLA and hundreds of other concerned New Yorkers to raise awareness about the importance of recognizing potential exposures to the disease, getting tested and, if necessary, treated for hepatitis C.”

Anyone living in the New York City area can obtain a FREE HCV blood test referral by calling LOLA at 718-892-8697. To volunteer or acquire additional information about LOLA’s Get Tested, Get Treated Hepatitis C campaign, please call toll free 1-888-367-LOLA.