Cassie & Friends Society is on a mission to make life better for kids and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

Juvenile Arthritis (JA) is a debilitating, autoimmune disease that affects 3 in 1,000 children in Canada. JA attacks the joints, causing pain, fatigue and mobility challenges, but it can also attack vital organs, including the eyes, making it a very serious condition in children.

Since 2007, Cassie & Friends Society has raised over $1,000,000 to fund research, pediatric rheumatology programs, equipment, support services and educational events to ensure kids and families with rheumatic diseases are not alone. That’s because, despite being one of the most common chronic childhood health issues in Canada, JA still remains relatively unknown and highly under-resourced.

As parents, the founders of the Society have felt firsthand the isolation, pain, lack of community awareness and critical gaps in support surrounding JA and other rheumatic diseases kids face. The Society’s priority is to be there for kids and families from the initial fear and disbelief of diagnosis through the endless hospital visits, needles, medications, scans and terrifying unknowns. That’s why Cassie & Friends Society exists: it’s a charity that’s focussed just on kids and their lives with Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.