About Systemic Scleroderma

From the back of Mom's funeral program:

Mom fought a very long battle with what was eventually determined to be systemic scleroderma. For the last year of her life, she received treatment at the Fairview University Medical Center Scleroderma Clinic (University of Minnesota) and was part of a scientific study to help further the understanding of this relatively rare illness. She was a lifelong learner who was always interested in furthering education. In tribute to her passion for knowledge, we include information about the the disease that so tragically affected her.

Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a chronic disease that causes skin thickening and tightening, a buildup of scar tissue, and damage to internal body organs. There are several types of scleroderma and related diseases with complications ranging from minor to life-threatening. Scleroderma can involve almost every organ system including the skin, vascular system, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, heart, joints, muscles, etc. Furthermore, this disease varies greatly from patient to patient, and can dramatically impact someone's life. To learn more about this disease or to find out how you can volunteer or donate to help others whose lives are touched by this disease please visit  www.scleroderma.org or www.sclerodermaresearch.org .