Hi All,

This year I will be taking part in the Great Scottish Run in Glasgow for the  benefit of the Scleroderma society.

The scleroderma society:

•  help and support people with scleroderma
•  increase awareness of scleroderma
•  fund scientific and medical research

Scleroderma is an autoimmune connective tissue disease affecting blood vessels and collagen production.

There is roughly 1 in 10 million people in the world suffering from this disease in its two forms.

 The cause is largely unknown and although there is no cure. The word scleroderma means "hard skin". There are two kinds of scleroderma: systemic sclerosis (which my mum had) and localised scleroderma.

SYSTEMIC SCLEROSIS
The term systemic means that the scleroderma affects the internal organs. There are two types of this:

Type 1-Limited systemic sclerosis (lcSSc)

Limited to the face, forearms, hands and lower legs

Type 2- Diffuse

Skin changes affect the whole body with its severity and problems varying greatly between patients. Problems include:

- Tightening of the skin around the fingers, the face and other areas of the body causing contractures (fixed joints) and a small mouth (microstomia)

- Ulceration, dryness and irritation, broken blood vessels (telangiectasia) on the face and hands and calcinosis protruding through the skin.

In addition to drug therapy, physiotherapy and exercises are important. Warm paraffin wax baths can also be useful and moisturising the skin is essential.

The internal organs can be affected in both limited and diffuse disease.
Heart and lung involvement can also be associated with both forms though is much more prominant in diffuse patients.

For a very small minority the complications can be so severe that the disease is fatal. However the overwhelming majority of people with Systemic Sclerosis can lead full and productive lives.

Unfortunately, my mum was in the latter category and having her internal organs essentially crushed led to the need for a blood transfusion which led to her untimely death from septicemia  at the age of 40 in 1994 and when I was 14 and my sister Lynda, 20.

Please dig deep and sponsor me online so that the memory of a great woman is preserved and the work of the scleroderma society can go on and help families and kids who have to endure this terrible disease.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Scleroderma Society will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support

COLIN