User:Weggie Girl/sandbox

to Find the Common Thread to Autoimmune Disease
PJ Day is an awareness campaign that involves a day spent in pajamas (work and play and special PJ events) to unite the patients, their families and supporters, with various autoimmune diseases in order to work together towards raising awareness and searching for a cure, for not just a single disease within the autoimmune disease family, but all autoimmune diseases. The event started in Jasper, Alberta, Canada and within two years gained enough momentum to spill out of the borders of the small mountain town. It is a patient driven initiative that has brought awareness to the entire town of 4,500, has gained great media coverage and recognition and is slated to keep rolling like a rogue snowball to every corner of the world. The day involves wearing PJ's to work or while playing, as well as a number of various organized PJ Events. PJ Ski Race, PJ Yoga, PJ Cross Country Ski - dog walk, PJ Noodle Night, PJ Run, PJ Fashion and Dance Show. (Photo and video Archives)

Background:
Autoimmune disease and disorders affect one in five people, 75% of which are female.

There are over 140 separate diseases that fall under the autoimmune umbrella and because they affect different organs/systems they have thus far been treated as separate diseases (research for a cure has also been segregated into disease locale rather than the commonality of an immune system that is malfunctioning.)

Autoimmune Disease is one of the top 10 killers of female children and women under 65 years of age. More statistics from AARDA.org

History:
February 29, 2012 First Pajama Day in Jasper Alberta March 01, 2013 Second Pajama Day in Jasper Alberta (City TV's Edmonton Breakfast Television crew on site for live 3.5 hour broadcast - in PJ's)