Donation marks ten years of dedicated support for kids and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases in British Columbia and Canada.
Cassie and Friends is proud to announce today our $140,000 gift to BC Children’s Hospital to support children and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis – a painful, lifelong condition in kids that attacks joints and steals childhoods. Our contribution reflects the longstanding partnership between Cassie & Friends Society and the remarkable team in BC Children’s Hospital Rheumatology – and marks the close of Juvenile Arthritis Awareness month in Canada.
Our $140,000 donation will establish the Cassie & Friends Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Pediatric Rheumatology at BC Children’s Hospital and help to further strengthen research efforts into safer and more effective treatments for the three in 1000 children in BC and Canada living with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and other rheumatic diseases. A portion of our funding will also directly support the establishment of a biobank for all pediatric rheumatology patients and help create a newly specialized clinic for children with autoinflammatory diseases, such as periodic fever syndrome.
Since 2007, Cassie and Friends has been unwavering our mission to transform the lives of kids and families affected by JIA and other rheumatic diseases. To date, we have committed over $1 million to pediatric rheumatology research across Canada, now offer five unique support programs for kids and families and host Canada’s largest annual JIA patient gathering. Additionally, our community of families, healthcare professionals and other friends have volunteered more than 25,000 hours of service to to help kids and families face the ups and downs of life with chronic disease – and achieve the bright futures they deserve.
The BC Children’s Hospital (BCCH) Division of Rheumatology provides diagnosis and treatment with a comprehensive and coordinated multidisciplinary team for children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases. The Pediatric Rheumatology Program includes pediatric outreach clinics and a transition program for older adolescents and young adults with rheumatic diseases. Cassie & Friends gift supports their team’s vision and aspiration that “best care” for patients is provided when care is integrated with research.
Our gift would not be possible without the dedication and support of our donors, including all those who participate in our annual Cassie and Friends Team in the Scotiabank 5k and Half Marathon Charity Challenge. We hope join us on Sunday, June, 25 in Stanley Park as we mark our 10th year running for kids and families affected by JIA and other rheumatic diseases. Join our team today!
If you live outside the Vancouver-area or can’t make it on June 25th, you can still help raise awareness and support for kids with arthritis by signing up for our Virtual Run.
