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State Senator Bill Beagle
Scleroderma
Awareness Month
Demeshia Trice is a survivor. Over the course of fifteen years, she's
undergone four partial finger amputations. She has ulcers covering her
whole body. She requires a caretaker to help her eat, bathe and perform
routine daily tasks.
Demeshia is living with scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that
devastates the lives of over 300,000 people around the nation. In
individuals suffering from the disease, the overproduction of collagen
causes tightening of the skin and limits mobility. Scleroderma can
attack any part of the body and damage internal organs, eventually
leading to severe complications or even death.
I first learned about scleroderma from a neighbor affected by the
disease. Across the state, thousands of our neighbors suffer from a
condition that many of us may not even know how to pronounce. Because
there is no cure, advocating for better research and medical
development is essential to providing more information and treatment
for those living with the disease.
In order to raise awareness about the impact of scleroderma, I
introduced legislation that designates the month of June as Scleroderma
Awareness Month. Recently, the bill passed through the Ohio General
Assembly and was signed into law by Governor John Kasich.
This June marks Ohio’s first recognition of Scleroderma Awareness
Month. My hope is that we will succeed in raising awareness and helping
to provide a voice for those who live with the daily challenges of
scleroderma. Together we can encourage research, education, and support
for our neighbors, friends, and family members impacted by the disease
so that they have a community of advocates working on their behalf.
For Demeshia Trice, Scleroderma Awareness Month is already making a
positive impact:
"We need others in our communities that are suffering to know that
there are resources available to them and their families that can make
their journey of coping with scleroderma easier.
To me, bringing awareness to scleroderma means having the opportunity
to educate all Ohio communities with the knowledge of what the disease
is, what it does to the body, treatments available and all the local
support groups in Ohio."
For Demeshia, for my neighbor and for all the Ohioans affected by
scleroderma, let's come together this month to help our state become
more educated and supportive.
If you are interested in learning more about scleroderma, please
contact the Ohio Chapter of the Scleroderma Foundation at
info@sfohio.org.
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