Scleroderma Awareness

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by SclerodermaAware.org

June 29th is World Scleroderma Day. If the name of this autoimmune disease is unfamiliar to you, you’re not alone. This rare condition has no known cause or cure, and 80% of its victims are women between the ages of 30 and 50. Affecting connective tissue, Scleroderma hardens the skin and also causes joint pain, digestive issues, lung scarring, and more. Scleroderma is largely misunderstood, leaving its sufferers feeling isolated and embarrassed of the physical manifestations of the disease.

• Tina‘s Aunt J began experiencing pain and general malaise, and saw doctor after doctor before being diagnosed with Scleroderma. Read about how her Aunt J felt when told the disease was terminal at Bits N Bites with Tina.

• Jennifer at Making Our Life Matter believes that by learning more about Scleroderma we can help people inflicted with the disease. Her husband’s grandmother suffers with it, and feels terribly when people think it’s contagious. Read more, here.

• Alli‘s son was diagnosed with the juvenile version of Scleroderma at age 8, and she wants everyone to take the pledge to become Scleroderma-aware. Read what the signs were that led her to take her son to the doctor, at her blog Tornadough Alli.

The thought of an autoimmune disease striking without warning when we’re in the prime of our lives, raising families, is terrifying. For more information, and to take the Scleroderma Awareness pledge yourself, please visit: http://sclerodermaaware.org/. Together, we can help raise awareness so research can be done to find a cure.

Featured image credit: monkeybusinessimages/Thinkstock

Natalie Rea

Mom to two amazing daughters - a feisty teen in middle school, and an ambitious young adult in university. Originally from Montréal's West Island, I now explore the beautiful trails of Hamilton, Ontario. Proud Canadian, vegetarian, dog-adopter, & bleeding-heart liberal. I smile a lot because I have Resting Bitch Face.