It’s Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month and we’re sharing stories of people like Kimberly (@strong_selflove). Despite being diagnosed with scleroderma at age 8, Kimberly went on to become an accomplished violinist. Years later, she suffered two strokes in a two-month span. Eventually, she lost parts of several fingers and the overall mobility of her hands and had to give up the violin. “I became depressed and insecure,” she said. “I didn’t feel beautiful and I didn’t feel independent anymore.”
Kimberly found renewed strength through communication — first by sharing her feelings with her family, and later, with the world. She discovered a community on social media where she found valuable support from others facing autoimmune diseases. Kimberly credits this support network with “giving me the motivation to keep fighting day by day.”
She voices gratitude to “everyone who supports funding for scleroderma research. On behalf of scleroderma warriors, we appreciate you.”
No—thank you, Kimberly! It’s people like you who inspire us at SRF to keep funding research to find a cure for scleroderma.
