https://www.facebook.com/events/465013253552672/

Second Annual Pajama Day to Raise Awareness for Autoimmune Disease and
FIND THE COMMON THREAD

When:
March 01, 2013 – all day

Where:
Jasper National Park, Alberta

What:
A day full of Pajama Events kicked off with a giant Pancake Breakfast at the Jasper Fire Hall – ranging from PJ Ski Race, PJ Fun Run, PJ Yoga, PJ Cross Country Ski, PJ Variety show with singing, dancing, fashion and drama (put on by the kids and families and those directly affected by Autoimmune Disease in Jasper.) Also spending a day in a town that fully embraces the idea and wears their PJ’s to work, play and spend the day doing whatever they normally do.

Why:
Because Autoimmune Disease affects one in five people (20% of the population,) yet does not receive the attention or research support many other disease groups are afforded.

Autoimmune Disease affects mostly women (75%) and is one of the top ten leading causes of death in females children and women in all age groups up to 64 years old.

Commonly used immunosuppressant treatment (like chemotherapy) leads to devastating long term side effects.

Finding the common thread and gaining an understanding of how to modulate immune system activity will benefit transplant recipients, cancer patients, AIDS patients, and infectious disease patients.

Due to its chronic nature, autoimmune disease is one of the biggest burdens on our health care system and if eliminated would save billions of dollars and open up infrastructure to create a healthier society overall.

Initial symptoms are often intermittent and unspecific until the disease becomes acute and they also cross many specialities and can affect all body organs, so there isn’t very much information sharing amongst different specialists to bring us closer to a cure.

There is a close genetic relationship among autoimmune disease, explaining clustering in individuals and families as well as a common pathway of disease.

Because if all of us that are affected directly or indirectly stand up and speak as one, our voice will be hard to ignore. By working together we can have fun while bringing attention to a disease group that if eliminated, will change our world for the better in more than just the obvious ways.