Scleroderma Awareness Month

June 18, 2012 - Mr. Speaker, the month of June holds a special place in my heart as it does for many Canadians, because it is Scleroderma Awareness Month. My mother suffered from scleroderma and eventually passed away from complications of this painful disease.

Scleroderma is a chronic, often progressive autoimmune disease, like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and multiple sclerosis, in which the body's immune system attacks its own tissues. Unfortunately, scleroderma afflicts women three times more often than men.

I am proud that the government has invested almost $1.5 million through a CIHR grant for the scleroderma patient-centred intervention network, and in doing so has recognized the ground-breaking work of this team.

It was with great emotion and fond memories of my mother that I joined hundreds of walkers a couple of Saturdays ago in Hamilton, Ontario for the 12th annual walk in the park for scleroderma.

Funds raised support the search for a cure, a day that cannot come too soon.

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