The Face of Rare Disorders in Canada

Thursday, September 26, 2013, 7 p.m.
Design Annex

118 James Street North, Hamilton
RSVP: The Face of Rare Disorders in Canada

Being diagnosed with a rare disease can be a lonely and frightening experience. These disorders are often poorly understood and don't generally inspire awareness campaigns in the same way that more common diseases do. As a result, people affected by rare diseases often feel abandoned. Couple this with a disease, whose symptoms can be disfiguring, and you have scleroderma – a progressive auto-immune disease.

Come and learn about the emotional, social and psychological challenges of having a condition with visible differences. As part of this public presentation, you will learn about a unique project that includes a travelling photo exhibit of the faces of scleroderma.

This free event is presented by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Genetics. Space is limited.

Experts

Joep Welling
Scleroderma Framed Project, Netherlands

James Partridge
CEO, Changing Faces (UK)

Maureen Sauvé
Chair
Scleroderma Society of Canada

Maureen D. Mayes
Professor of Medicine
Director of the Scleroderma Clinic
University of Texas
Houston School of Medicine

Moderator

Durhane Wong-Rieger
President
Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders