News

A recent report by Mental Health Research Canada underscores the pressing need for improved access to mental health services for youth. Vulnerable groups, including those already managing chronic conditions, face particularly steep challenges. Among these, youth with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and other rheumatic diseases experience disproportionately high rates of anxiety, depression,…

To have a chronic illness is to be fighting every day for the next. My name is Paige Simpson. I am 17 years old, I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, otherwise known as JIA. I have been treated for JIA for 15 years but have been battling this condition…

Cassie + Friends is excited to share that Fresh Slice Pizza’s charitable foundation, Fresh Slice Cares, is donating $1600 to help spread Juvenile Arthritis (JA) awareness and keep affected kids active through Team Cassie + Friends! The goal of the Fresh Slice Cares Foundation is to “Help Kids be Kids”…

n April 11, 2024, after a rigorous selection process, Cassie + Friends and Brain Canada have selected two life-transforming and innovative research projects to receive a combined total of $480,00 in funding dedicated to transforming the lives and mental wellness of children and teens impacted by juvenile arthritis and other…

Let’s Crush JA by recycling your bottles and cans or starting your very own bottle drive! Simply collect your bottles and cans, select how/where you’d like to return them, and Voila! Bottle Recycle Depots: Return It Express Go Stations: find an Express Go container near you Schedule a Pick Up: We…

It is not easy being rare. Being rare means that there is not a lot of knowledge, research, and treatment options available for youth and families affected by systemic autoinflammatory diseases (SAIDs). And that is exactly what the recently formed Can-SAID advisory group, a branch of Cassie + Friends (C+F), wants to…

Three-year-old Katherine can keep up with other kids now, but that wasn’t always the case… When Alana noticed her daughter was limping at the playground, she didn’t know what to think – especially when the limp didn’t go away. She decided to bring her to a doctor to be examined.…

The Beginning As a toddler learning to walk, Audrey caught on pretty fast. By her 1st birthday she was already zooming around with impressive coordination and balance. When we noticed that she was limping on-and-off at 18 months of age, we knew something was up. Her right ankle was swollen so…

6.5 million people are affected by arthritis in Canada and about 24,000 of them are children. Cassie + Friends is just for them. Kids like Audrey (pictured right) – diagnosed at just 18 months – need our help to make sure their health and futures are a priority, even beyond…

Marissa has joined us on Team Cassie + Friend in the 2021 virtual run/walk for kids and families affected by juvenile arthritis. Read why she’s stepping up for her daughter, Charlotte, and all youth affected by juvenile arthritis. When my daughter, Charlotte was just 2 years old, she had a…

Did you know that March is Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada? Here at Cassie + Friends, we have been raising awareness and providing support to the JA community since 2007! We are the only charity in Canada exclusively dedicated to the pediatric rheumatic disease community and our dedication shows!…

#RareFinds w/ @DrPedsRheum Did you know it can take up to 17 years for research to trickle from journals and publications into your child’s clinic appointment?  When we heard the recent American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Meeting was a “big one for Pediatric Rheumatologists,” we wanted to know why. So…