Our Group

Upstate Monarchs is the name of our Lymphedema/Lipedema Support Group for the South Carolina Upstate Community. The Monarch Butterfly is the national symbol for Lymphedema and our group was named by our first President, Joe Jackson, who since passed away in May 2011.

Our goal is to help our members "Live with Lymphedema" and it's related symptoms through education, communication and advocacy.

Upstate Monarchs Meeting in 2011

Our first regular meeting was in October 26, 2010 at Earth Fare Super Market's Community Room in Greenville, South Carolina. We were started by a small group of Lymphedema patients, caregivers, and therapists in Greenville. We modeled our support group after similar groups in Georgia which offered encouragement and support for this condition.

In the four and half years since we have formed, we continue to seek people who want to empower themselves and "actively" manage this condition. We are now looking to expand our reach to local communities in the Upstate and we have a goal to be as accessible as possible to those who need our help.

Since 2011, we are registered as a charitable organization with the State of South Carolina and we are looking for ways to better inform more Upstate residents about Lymphedema and available treatments. We believe there is a very large group of people who are suffering with this condition needlessly and we want to encourage all who live with this condition to seek and maintain treatment to control their symptoms.

In 2015, we changed our community meeting times to the first Monday of the month (in Greenville) and second Thursday of the month (in Anderson). We continue to expand our reach to as patients as possible, as well advocate to the medical professionals to our plight and experiences.

In 2017, we added Lipedema to our support conditions and we have grown our number to nearly 100 members. We are proudly supported by Bon Secours St. Francis Health System in Greenville, SC.

We look forward to seeing you at our next group meeting and help us spread the word of hope and support to those who need our help.

Bobby Clark
President
Upstate Monarchs of South Carolina

Updated on June 16, 2025

The Monarch Butterfly is the international symbol for Lymphedema. it symbolizes lymphedema awareness due to its representation of transformation, resilience, and hope. Like the butterfly’s metamorphosis, individuals with lymphedema undergo physical and emotional changes in learning to manage the condition. The monarch’s strength and long migration mirror the endurance of those living with chronic swelling. Its wings can also symbolically reflect the shape of swollen limbs, turning a medical challenge into a symbol of beauty and strength. This imagery helps raise awareness and foster community support.

- Source: Lymphatic Education & Research Network (LE&RN) – lymphaticnetwork.org

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