A message from our Board Chair, David Porte.

Dear Cassie + Friends Community,

Today is the start of Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month and I am writing to invite you to get behind our mission by becoming a monthly donor to Cassie + Friends.

Even just $10, $20 or $50 dollars per month can make a big difference in reaching our vision of a pain-free future for kids. I hope you will show your support today!

I know there are lots of awareness days and months, so here is why I, personally, hope you’ll help us make this March (and every month, by becoming a monthly donor!) count for kids and families living with Juvenile Arthritis (JA).

All clear, but not pain-free.

Yesterday, my daughter, Cassie, received an “all clear” at her eye-appointment for Juvenile Arthritis-related Uveitis.

By my best count, this was our 50th or so such appointment since she was first diagnosed 15 years ago at age two.

This day, we left with a sigh of relief, but many other times we’ve left with steroid drops, the need for more aggressive medications and the terrible fear of her losing her eyesight.

We have never once left with a cure or reassurance for her future.

How will you help #MakeMarchCount?

Over the past 15 years since we started Cassie + Friends, we have seen incredible advances in JA treatment and care. We know this from the adults and young adults in our community who spent too long seeking a diagnosis or who never had the benefit of early biologics.

We’ve also built – with your help – a strong, national organization committed exclusively to transforming the lives of affected children and families.

Today, we offer unparalleled education, a thriving community and last year, we launched a new Care and Research Network (CREW) to aggressively advance JA research, awareness and support across Canada.

So, what’s stopping us from making sure the next fifteen years are just as transformational for kids? Nothing!

All we have to do is commit and ACT.

So, here are three easy ways you can #MakeMarchCount:

  1. Donate. Starting today, CanadaHelps will make a one-time extra donation of $20 to Cassie + Friends for every new monthly gift of $20 or more set up in March!

  2. Share your story on social media using #MakeMarchCount or post a wish for the next 15 years using #15YearsFromNow. Don’t forget to tag us!

  3. Join a Team Cassie + Friends Run/Walk and/or host an awareness day at your school

Sincerely,

David Porte
C+F Founder and Board Chair

PS: We’ve got lots more in-store for JA Awareness Month, including the official announcement of our first CREW grant recipients across Canada! Thank you for making a pain-free future for kids possible. Click here to join our mission and make your donation today.