Team Hope For Morgan, a team of friends and family, will host a benefit sale and cornhole tournament to raise funds for scleroderma research, awareness and medical costs August 25 in Apple Creek. This benefit sale will take place at 11301 Hackett Road, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There will be arts and craft vendors, home party consultants, garage sale, bake sale, hot dog lunch beginning at 11 a.m., and a cornhole tournament, with registration starting at 4 p.m. Proceeds from this sale will go toward the Ohio Chapter Scleroderma Foundation’s Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma walk that is happening Oct. 7 in Reynoldsburg, as well as to offset medical expenses. Hope For Morgan walks in honor of 7-year-old Morgan Mast, who was diagnosed with this disease in December 2011.

The Scleroderma Foundation provides grants toward research for this rare disease, as well as education, and patient/caregiver support. Scleroderma is a rare, chronic disease that affects the connective tissue and is classified as an autoimmune rheumatic disease. The word scleroderma comes from two Greek words: sclero, meaning hard, and derma, meaning skin. Hardening of the skin is the most visible symptom of the disease.

The disease has several forms, and varies between patients. Scleroderma can range from very mild to life threatening. It is estimated that about 300,000 people have scleroderma in the United States. More women than men develop the disease, and mostly between the ages of 25 to 55.

Morgan first tested positive for a mild type of the disease at the age of 2, called limited scleroderma, which is a sub-type of the systemic form of the disease that causes ulcers on the fingers and toes. She had no symptoms of the disease at that time and continues to this day not to have any of the limited scleroderma symptoms, but still is testing positive for that type. However, she did recently develop symptoms of another type of the disease called linear scleroderma, a type of localized scleroderma. Linear scleroderma usually starts as a streak or line of hardened, waxy skin on an arm or leg or on the forehead. Linear scleroderma tends to involve deeper layers of the skin as well as the surface layers, and sometimes affects the motion of the joints which lie underneath. Linear scleroderma usually develops in childhood. It can affect the growth of involved limbs.
It is rare to have two forms of the disease and because Morgan has both forms, it is not clear how this disease may progress. There is also a sub-type of the disease called diffuse scleroderma. In diffuse scleroderma, skin thickening occurs rapidly and involves more skin areas. People with diffuse scleroderma have a greater risk of developing hardening of the internal organs.

The team is looking forward to having the chance to show support and to bring awareness to this disease. An information table with more resources about this disease, from the Scleroderma Foundation, will be provided at the sale. Information will also be available on Project Scleroderma, a documentary film in the making about people who fight this disease, as well as more information about Team Hope For Morgan.