AMERICUS -- A 31-year-old mother died after a life-long struggle with lupus. Katreasa Evans battled the disease all of her life. Lupus affects its victims in various ways, including attacking skin and the vital organs. The disease left Evans with a very low red blood cell count, it had her suffering with seizures and she had to have several brain surgeries, multiple blood transfusions and other medical treatments.

But her mother, Marilyn Hicks said, "the disease really escalated after her daughter gave birth to twin girls more than eight years ago, Pameya and Shamya. It was an unexpected pregnancy that doctors had advised against." "But she really loved those kids," Hicks said. "They really made her happy." Evans not only had children, but was determined to do normal things. While in high school she worked several years at KFC. She attended South Georgia Technical College.

"She tried to do as much normal stuff as possible, "Hicks said. "She was strong." Systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as SLE or lupus, is a chronic autoimmune connective tissue disease that can affect any part of the body. As occurs in other autoimmune diseases, the immune system attacks the body's own cells and tissues, resulting in inflammation and tissue damage.

"It's a strange disease," Hicks said. "It can hurt you in so many ways because it attacks so many organs of the body." When the seizures became more frequent, Evans was forced to stop working and slow down.

She died on September 17, 2009.

"It was hard on the twins," said Hicks, who takes care the twin girls. "It was hard on everyone." The twins frequently ask why their mother had to leave them. They fondly mention how much their mother loved fried chicken. She is still trying to help the girl's get over their mother's death.

"They have questions all the time," Hicks said. "But it's hard to explain." She said the children are still afraid to go into their mother's old room. But she tries to comfort them by repeating that their mother is watching over them. "I tell them she may not be physically here, but she will always be in your hearts and minds."

"She will always love you." Katreasa's stepfather is Charles Hicks who has raised her from a young teenager, he says, "I am so proud of the excellent father daughter relationship we had."