SUPPORTING - CALIFORNIA - NEVADA - HAWAII - ARIZONA
The Scleroderma Foundation of California has a proud history of serving the scleroderma community since 1989.
Our name reflects our history and the communities we serve, we look forward to expanding our impact to reach more underserved scleroderma communities in California and beyond.
OUR VISION
Is for all scleroderma patients to receive an accurate and timely diagnosis, and access to care and support for those who require it, until we find a cure to end scleroderma.
OUR MISSION
We EMPOWER the scleroderma community to live BETTER lives through programs dedicated to SUPPORT, EDUCATION, and RESEARCH.
PILLARS OF OUR MISSION
SUPPORT: Inspiring our community through support services and resources for patients including 22 local community volunteer driven support groups and one-on-one professional guidance that allows patients to thrive.
EDUCATION: For medical professionals to help them understand and properly diagnosis scleroderma early, and for patients to help them and cope and thrive while living with scleroderma.
RESEARCH: Support patient-oriented research in collaboration with national and international organizations working in scleroderma and related disease fields.
OUR PARTNERS AND AFFILIATIONS
As founding members of the original Scleroderma Foundation, we will continue our affiliation with the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago and the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Washington DC.
We have also partnered with the Friends of the World Scleroderma Foundation and World Scleroderma Foundation.
Working together, our organizations share a mission committed to improving the quality of life and fully supporting research. Through this partnership we will expand our EDUCATION mission initiatives to include outreach to the medical community providing the education needed to fully understand and properly diagnosis scleroderma. Additionally, we will help fund global RESEARCH projects.
These partnerships will allow us to fully fulfill our mission and provide new opportunities for growth. While our affiliation as a Chapter of the National Scleroderma Foundation has ended, we remain committed as partners in the fight against scleroderma.
WHAT IS SCLERODERMA?
Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis, is a chronic autoimmune disease (in autoimmune disease, the body’s normal immune/defense system turns against itself). The word “scleroderma” means “hard skin. Hardening of the skin is one of the most visible manifestations of the disease. Systemic sclerosis can involve most organs but frequently involves the lungs, heart, gastrointestinal system, tendons, and joints in addition to the skin and maybe life-threatening. Scleroderma is not contagious, infectious, or cancerous.
