Alison Legge: Navigating the workplace with a rheumatic disease I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) at three years old. Having dealt with the disease with varying degrees of severity for the past 24 years, I can say one of the most challenging things to manage is other [...]
bridging the gap improving lives through research, education, connection, and support We're living in a time of exciting progress, where scientific breakthroughs are paving the way for better care for children and families dealing with pediatric rheumatic diseases. Every day, dedicated researchers, including those in our CREW Network, are pushing the boundaries of [...]
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! From our Team Cassie [...]
Reine Hodroj - Learning to Live with Behcet's Disease Living with a chronic illness is an unimaginable challenge, and Behcet's Disease has been my constant companion in this journey. This rare autoimmune condition, characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and systemic inflammation, has disrupted my life in many ways. However, my [...]
Bella is turning 7 this year and while most kids her age are focused on playing outside and colouring, Bella is dealing with the ups and downs of Muckle-Wells Syndrome which includes painful injections. As you can imagine, she has been struggling with the large doses of anakinra and the needle pokes. To [...]
On the way towards a pain free future, let's tackle one of the most difficult parts of pediatric rheumatic diseases - the injection experience. The treatments available for childhood rheumatic diseases like #JIA and #Lupus have significantly improved over time. Despite this, little has been done to address the often extreme anxiety and pain [...]
I graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology, with a focus in Genetics and Evolution. Shortly after graduating and working in a laboratory, I came to the realization I can make a bigger impact in healthcare and biotechnology by leveraging my scientific expertise to [...]
Community Connection Stories #ConnectingJA transforms Misinformation. "Cassie + Friends has been such a great resource for my husband and I, our son, and even Lily to understand the disease more." Parent of a child with JA, SK Help Transform [...]
My name is Kayla, I am 25 years old and have lived with arthritis for over half my life. I attended Pain Education Day at the International Symposium for Pediatric Pain last month, and it was not what I initially expected. I didn't realize I would have the opportunity to meet so many other [...]
Throughout my life I have been granted many titles; mom, wife, daughter, registered nurse, and writer are just a few. These are the titles that are associated with my name. I could be described as outgoing, humorous, modest, and perhaps kind too. These would be some characteristics that people from a distance would use [...]
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