NEWS

On Thursday, April 19th, the members of the Cassie and Friends Society Board, youth leaders and parent volunteers came together for our Annual General Meeting. We are excited to share the report provided by Cassie and Friends’ Co-Founder and Board Chair, David Porte, outlining the amazing things we’ve been able…

At Family Day 2016, Cassie and Friends volunteer Alison Legge gave a powerful speech about Juvenile Arthritis and the effect it has on mental health. This February, Alison underwent bilateral TMJ replacement surgery to ease the pain in her jaw, and is currently having a speedy recovery. She is now the…

Cassie and Friends Society, in partnership with Arthritis Consumer Experts, is leading a call for the BC Government to drastically improve the outlook of children with SJIA by allowing reimbursement coverage for canakinumab for the small number of children who need it. Our campaign for equitable access has now reached the media,…

Kadi Nicolson is a Physiotherapist in Surrey, BC, who also lives with Juvenile Arthritis.  In June, she gave a talk called, How to Navigate Sport, Recreation and JIA, based on her own experiences balancing a passion for sport with chronic pain. Read Kadi’s story below and watch her full talk for…

In September of 2014, summer ended and our three daughters headed to back school – Anika into grade 4, Jaylene to grade 3 and Claire starting preschool. With school routines starting up again, life seemed back to normal. Then, out of the blue, Jaylene began complaining about a rash she…

Teens Taking Charge: Andrea’s JIA After being diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis at the age of two, Andrea’s childhood and teen years were much different than those of her peers. Her experiences with doctors’ visits and medications from such a young age forced her to mature faster and understand things her…

GET UP AND GET ACTIVE! Exercise can ease a child’s arthritis pain and help them keep a positive mindset.  #RunForIt is our six week run training program designed especially for kids and families who sign up for Team Cassie & Friends in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge. Every Monday starting in May 2017,…

Donation marks ten years of dedicated support for kids and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases in British Columbia and Canada. Cassie and Friends is proud to announce today our $140,000 gift to BC Children’s Hospital to support children and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis – a…

A teen has created a new website detailing what it’s like to grow up with Periodic Fever Syndrome (PFS). When asked to design a “Personal Project” for a school assignment, the teen knew this was the perfect opportunity to spread more awareness about PFS and maybe even help other kids and families who…

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…

We have officially begun registration for the Cassie & Friends Team in the 2016 Scotiabank Charity Challenge Run/Walk Event!  To help announce our 9th year of literally stepping up for kids with rheumatic diseases and to get you excited about joining the team, we wanted to share this speech (below) made by Cassie & Friends Co-Founder,…

David Porte knew something was wrong with his infant daughter when he took her out of her crib one morning and she couldn’t walk. Little Cassie had been active and healthy up to that point, so this development left her parents puzzled and worried. Neither Porte nor his wife, a…