In early 2022 we launched the Team Cassie + Friends Youth Ambassador program to support youth in raising awareness of JA and other rheumatic diseases within their school community. Soleil is one of our first Team C+F Youth Ambassadors! This month she will give a presentation to her entire school on Juvenile Arthritis and [...]
The Cassie + Friends Care & Research Network (CREW) launched in November 2021 as an opportunity for Pediatric Rheumatology clinics in Canada to access up to $15,000 in funding towards improving the care experience at their clinic or advancements in research. To kick off CREW, we've highlighted stories from members of our CREW - [...]
A vital part of the work we do at Cassie + Friends stems from our involvement in important research in the pediatric rheumatic (PR) disease community. Over the past decade, we’ve helped endow a research chair, fund a new international post-doc, build one of only three PR labs in Canada, launch a pain-app and [...]
I am the proud mother to a vibrant 3.5-year-old, Émilie, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) shortly before her second birthday. We were fortunate as a family to receive a diagnosis in a relatively rapid timeframe thanks to knowledge about navigating the health care system (I work as a nurse) and a [...]
Parenting is joyful, frustrating, rewarding and exhausting. Parenting a child with a chronic disease gives you a double dose of it all; you face challenges most parents never dream of. You juggle doctors, therapists, hospitals, insurance companies, pharmacies and the list goes on. Then there are the emotional and behavioural issues you deal with. [...]
medications biologics methotrexate biosimilars There are many different medications used to treat and manage juvenile arthritis (JA) and other rheumatic diseases. Here are the main types of JA drugs and their generic names. Medications can be taken [...]
Trish is an inspiring community leader and one who has already accomplished so much in her young life. Having completed her Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, she is now pursuing a Master's Degree in the Netherlands, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to her education and personal growth. Trish's unique life experiences have given her a diverse [...]
The Virtual Youth Panel event is now available for viewing on Youtube and IGTV. You'll find timestamps of the video on Youtube to direct you to the questions/answers you'll want to hear the most. This is an excellent resource to share with relatives, friends, sports coaches and teachers to help them understand life with [...]
My daughter Elena was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at age 2. Arthritis? That was an elderly person’s disease, I thought. I had no idea the depth of the disease or what would lie ahead for us. First, she started with redness and swelling in her knees. I took her into the doctor and they [...]
For many children with JIA or other rheumatic diseases, physical challenges at school can be huge barriers, particularly when it comes to gym class. In a recent study, researchers found that 38% of kids with JIA were unable to participate in gym with their peers. Paired with misunderstanding and lack of knowledge on the [...]
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