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Hi,   I am going to run the 2012 London Marathon in aid of The Scleroderma Society.  My Friend Helena Rozga has sclerodema and I know through her that the more awareness there is about the dissease can help early diagnosis which is crucial for the patients to achieve specialist medical attention and a better quality of life.  I also know that the Scleroderma Society support patients and research and any fund raising I can achive could not go to a more caring organisation.  Scleroderma is an umbrella term for a number of conditions, affecting either the skin, or the internal organs, or both. When it affects the internal organs, it is called “systemic sclerosis” or “systemic scleroderma” and it can be either “diffuse” or “limited”.   The skin becomes affected by becoming thicker and tighter, and can affect mobility of the joints if it is very tight across a joint, such as in the hands. Tight skin around the mouth can make it difficult to open your mouth to eat, drink and clean your teeth.  The word “scleroderma” comes from the Greek meaning “sclero” (hard) and “derma” (skin). Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease; connective tissue supports the body and holds all types of tissue in the body together, so it is found everywhere in the body.  Scleroderma is rare; not many people have scleroderma, just about 7,000 people in the UK. It ranges from very mild in some people, to very severe in other people.  There is no cure at present, but there are treatments which can help some of the problems.  Scleroderma can affect the skin on its own or it can affect the internal organs such as heart, lungs, kidneys and gut.  Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity. This will be my 9th Marathon and they don't get any easier! So please dig deep and donate now. Kind regards,   Kevin

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