Thank you to everyone who helped make Giving Tuesday a huge success for children and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases - including one very special gift we wanted to share with you from eight-year old Iyla. Iyla, from Meaford, Ontario, has been diligently raising money for Cassie + Friends all [...]
Hi! My name is Cassie! That name might sound familiar because my parents started Cassie + Friends after I was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at 20 months. I am now 17 years old, in grade 12, and taking a break from filling out university applications as I write this. Time sure flies. But [...]
Cassie + Friends is proud to introduce our first-ever practicum student, Jillian Wickert. Welcome, Jillian! Jillian is a student at the University of Alberta (U of A) doing a Master’s Degree in Community Engagement within the School of Public Health. Jillian not only has an interest in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and chronic illness, [...]
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. After weeks of testing [...]
Hey! My name is Josie Fratarcangeli, and I am from Woodstock, Ontario. I was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis when I was 4 years old. I am currently 17 years old – and have just “graduated” from London Health Science’s Pediatric Medical Day Unit (PMDU) where I got my monthly infusions of Remicade [...]
We have been asking youth with rheumatic disease to share their story! Sharing stories helps build community and connections. We hope that Jenna’s amazing story inspires you to share your own story. My name is Jenna Kedy. I am 18 years old and live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. As a child, I was often [...]
A year and a half ago our daughter was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Her pain and psoriasis started about a year before that but between misdiagnosis and chalking things up to growing pains, we had no idea JIA was even a thing. It all came to a head after a hike when her knee [...]
Autoinflammatory vs Autoimmune Diseases Coined less than 20 years ago, the word autoinflammatory is often confused with autoimmune—so, what’s the difference? When we think of the word autoimmune, most people understand that it means your body is attacking itself the way it attacks invaders, like bacteria and viruses. These autoimmune responses run on a [...]
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