SCLERODERMA FOUNDATION TRI-STATE CHAPTER

The Scleroderma Foundation/Tri-State Inc., Chapter is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving New York, northern New Jersey and Connecticut. The organization helps scleroderma patients and their families cope with the disease through support groups, educational forums, physician referrals and educational information such as articles, books and DVDs, available through our lending library and a growing number of videos online at www.sclerodermavideo.com. Scleroderma [skler-o-derma] is a chronic, often progressive, autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body's connective tissue. Scleroderma literally means “hard skin” because it can cause a thickening and tightening of the skin. In some cases, it causes serious damage to internal organs including the lungs, heart, kidneys, esophagus and gastrointestinal tract. As scarring, or sclerosis, of these organs and organ systems progress, they work less effectively, and can lead to organ failure and death. Some medications and treatments can help with certain symptoms, but there is no cure for scleroderma. The disease affects about 300,000 people across the U.S. In comparison, the same number of people are affected by multiple sclerosis. An estimated 30,000 of them live in the Tri-State Chapter's New York, New Jersey and Connecticut service area.