September is Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month, and we’re taking part by sharing stories of people living with scleroderma.
Rumbie (@sclerodancer) has always had a passion for dance and started her own African dance company in 2009. In 2016, she was diagnosed with scleroderma and interstitial lung disease which made it hard to speak or climb stairs without getting winded. Though her physicality changed, dance still enhances Rumbie’s life. “I realized the more that I moved, the better my breathing, mobility, and endurance got.”
These days, she prefers teaching. “When I teach, I can control everything — the moves, the song, the duration, and the breaks we take so that no one notices that I’m struggling.” She adds, “Dance has always been a passion of mine and ultimately dance is what has saved me.”
Rumbie shares her challenges and successes on social media, advocating for wellness and scleroderma awareness. SRF stays laser-focused on accelerating research for a cure so that people like Rumbie can keep on dancing.
