Scleroderma Canada

08/05/2026

We are pleased to welcome the Scleroderma Patient-Centred Intervention Network (SPIN) to our 22nd Bi-Annual National Scleroderma Conference Exhibit Hall!

SPIN is an international network of researchers, healthcare providers, and people living with scleroderma who are working together to develop, adapt, and test programs that help individuals better cope with their illness and navigate daily life. Through innovative, patient-centred research, SPIN is helping improve support and resources for the scleroderma community around the world.

Be sure to stop by and connect with the SPIN team throughout the conference weekend, where they'll be hosting three engaging sessions for attendees!

07/31/2026

We are pleased to welcome Take a Pain Check to our 22nd Bi-Annual National Scleroderma Conference Exhibit Hall!

Take a Pain Check was launched as a podcast in March 2021 by Natasha Trehan. Natasha was diagnosed at the age of 13 with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, and is currently furthering her education, after completing her undergraduate degree in Translational and Molecular Medicine at the University of Ottawa in 2025. As a teenager, she felt alone and was unable to find resources to connect with other people with similar lived experiences. After joining a support group 2 years into her journey, and meeting tons of other youth, Take a Pain Check Podcast was born to ensure that young patients feel supported in every step of the way.

Soon after the podcast launched, a community was built and we became Take a Pain Check Foundation in October 2021. Take a Pain Check Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to the mission and vision of supporting youth and young adults with rheumatic diseases through social media, initiatives, advocacy, and raising awareness. Take a Pain Check is currently changing the lives of individuals impacted with rheumatic diseases by creating a safe community. The goal is to empower youth to advocate for themselves, and to create a place where they feel understood.

07/28/2026

07/23/2026

We are pleased to introduce RPT Karen Gordon as a speaker at the 2026 national scleroderma conference in Ottawa.

Karen is a registered physiotherapist with the Arthritis Rehabilitation and Education Program (AREP) at Arthritis Society Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. She enjoys helping clients learn to manage their arthritis by providing client-centered primary care and self-management education as well as teaching clinical skills to health care providers. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physiotherapy from McGill University and is a board member of the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA). In her spare time, Karen enjoys birding, biking, cross-country skiing and exploring new places.

07/17/2026

As we reflect back on June Awareness Month, one thing remains clear: there is still so much work to do.

Throughout the month, we shared stories, raised awareness, and highlighted the realities of living with scleroderma. Behind every diagnosis is a person navigating delays in diagnosis, limited treatment options, financial challenges, and the daily realities of living with a complex and often misunderstood disease.

In this video, members of our scleroderma community share what still needs to change and why awareness must continue to lead to action.

At Scleroderma Canada, we remain committed to listening to patient voices and advocating for earlier diagnosis, equitable access to care and treatments, increased research funding, and a future where no one faces scleroderma alone.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s June Awareness campaign a success by sharing your stories, starting conversations, and standing with the scleroderma community. Together, we continue to make the invisible more visible.

07/15/2026

We are pleased to welcome the Scleroderma Canada Student Network (SCSN to our 22nd Bi-Annual National Scleroderma Conference Exhibit Hall!

In 2024, after completing an internship with Scleroderma United, Co-Presidents Elyse Da Costa and Kaitlyn Flanagan were a part of founding a student group known as Scleroderma United for Students at UTSC or the University of Toronto Scarborough. After working to build the student group over the course of the 24/25 academic year, they both decided to contact Scleroderma Canada to engage in any partnership opportunities.

After Elyse and Kaitlyn announced the support of Scleroderma Canada at the Make a Move Walk in June of 2025, the student group has only grown from there. Over the course of the 25/26 academic year, they have grown connections with others on campus and helped raise awareness through their role as Co-Presidents. They also serve as Marketing and Content Creation Managers for ScleroCare, a web-based application dedicated to supporting those living with Scleroderma funded by Scleroderma Canada. In this role, Elyse and Kaitlyn regularly update the Instagram and pages of ScleroCare and founded a podcast known as "Be ScleroAware" where summaries of different aspects of the autoimmune disease are covered. They hope to continue expanding their reach within the field and further extend their student group to various institutions across Canada over the course of this summer.

07/08/2026

We are pleased to introduce Dr. Brett Thombs as a speaker at the 2026 national scleroderma conference in Ottawa.

Dr. Thombs is a Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair, McGill University. He founded and directs the Scleroderma Patient-Intervention Network (SPIN), a collaboration of investigators, health care providers, and patients who work together to better understand the patient experience of living with scleroderma and conduct trials of programs to address prioritized problems.

Dr. Thombs has been awarded lifetime awards from the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals and Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and membership in the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists of the Royal Society of Canada.