R.I.P. Hannah's Dad

Tomorrow, January 19th sees the first anniversary of the death of our Women in Horror Recognition Month founder, Hannah Neurotica's beloved Dad.  Hannah does so much to raise awareness about women working in the horror industry and today I ask you to take a moment to find out more about the horrible condition her Dad had, Scleroderma.  Scleroderma is a horrible auto immune connective tissue disease that affects the blood vessels and collagen production in the body.

There are two kinds of scleroderma: systemic sclerosis which affects the internal organs as well as the skin, and localised scleroderma which affects a specific area of skin but not the organs.  Scleroderma Society UK

February is not only Women in Horror Recognition Month though, here in the UK it is also Raynaud's and Scleroderma Awareness Month too.  

Raynaud's is a common condition in which blood is prevented from reaching the extremities of the body, mainly the fingers and toes, on exposure to the cold or any slight change in temperature. A small number of people who have Raynaud's also develop scleroderma, a disease which affects the connective tissue.

Scleroderma means hard skin but the hardness is not limited to the skin - the internal organs and their blood supply may become damaged. Scleroderma can be devastating not only for the person who has the condition but also for the families concerned.  Raynaud's and Scleroderma Association UK