When I first heard of the medication Ondansetron, I couldn’t help but think about how its name sounded like a character from the Transformers movies. While this medication doesn’t fight space aliens or have a special effects budget, it does hold the capacity to TRANSFORM lives. How might you ask?Methotrexate is a [...]
"We're very proud of our girls for showing the fortitude needed to not let these diseases define them." Hello families! My name is Mike Wiens, husband to Jesica and father to two girls, Vanessa 24 yrs old, and Sarah 23 yrs old. We're happy to call Port Moody, BC our home since relocating here [...]
"Feelings and emotions are real, and should be felt and openly discussed." Meet Kaese and his mom, Jennifer. Together, they have chosen to share their story of being diagnosed with JIA and the many impacts that can have on a child and family's mental health. To read more Cassie + Friends' Youth Mental [...]
One of our favourite things at Cassie + Friends is when kids step up and take action towards spreading awareness and fundraising for JIA and other rheumatic diseases. Our Calgary JIA warrior, Jason, is hosting the first kids fundraiser of the year- a pajama day at his school! Tickets will be sold, by donation, [...]
Our family's journey with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) and genetics doesn’t begin with our son’s experience - it actually begins with mine. I was diagnosed with JIA at the age of 7; I faced a difficult time with poor control of my symptoms, which led to significant damage by the time I was [...]
Canadian Pediatric Rheumatology Families in the Spotlight! We want to thank every parent and youth who participated in our survey to find out more about Canadian families' preferences and experiences with Telemedicine practices during COVID-19. Your results have been published as a scientific research paper - here's our summary below and a link to [...]
Hello, My name is Emma Linsley, and I am from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with JIA. Along with needing to learn to manage the physical ailments of the disease, this diagnosis brought with it a complex set of other challenges that my support network and I would [...]
Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is severe inflammation of the immune system which can be associated with rheumatologic conditions such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). I was diagnosed with both conditions in October 2010. My name is Gauri Raj and I am currently 21 years old. When I was 10 years old, I had lost [...]
I am the proud mother to a vibrant 3.5-year-old, Émilie, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) shortly before her second birthday. We were fortunate as a family to receive a diagnosis in a relatively rapid timeframe thanks to knowledge about navigating the health care system (I work as a nurse) and a [...]
How can we best transform the lives of youth affected by rheumatic diseases through Cassie + Friends? This March, in recognition of juvenile arthritis awareness month and #WORDDay, we hosted the very first Cassie + Friends Hackathon to get creative and collaborative around community-driven solutions that answer the question “How can we best transform [...]
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