Read Cassie’s letter to Selena Gomez who will be in‪ ‎Vancouver‬ for her ‪#‎RevivalTour‬ on May 14th.

Selena revealed last year last year that she was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease, ‪Lupus‬, back in 2013 and underwent chemotherapy.

Approximately 1 in 10,000 children in Canada will develop Lupus, most frequently between the ages of 11 and 13. Lupus is more frequent in people of Asian, South Asian, African and Hispanic descent and symptoms can include everything from a butterfly shaped rash on the face, to arthritis, kidney problems and even seizures. Lupus is more common in girls than boys.

In December 2015, the Surrey Now shared a story about 15-year old Emma Stainsbury, who suffered a stroke after being diagnosed with Lupus at BC Children’s Hospital. The stroke caused left-side paralysis of Emma’s arm and leg – a devastating blow to Emma who had already built a promising career as a professional ballerina.

We are proud to support children and families dealing with all childhood rheumatic diseases, including juvenile arthritis and lupus. We hope everyone will share Cassie’s letter to encourage Selena to learn more about Cassie & Friends Society when she’s in town – and maybe even generate some positive media attention about other kids + teens who live with these challenging health conditions.