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Tiziana Tolfo – Dancing for research...

Seventeen years ago, Tiziana Tolfo was diagnosed with lupus. She was writing exam finals when she developeda rash on her face, experienced extreme fatigue, a fever and aching and swollen joints. Lupus is a difficult disease to diagnose because, like many autoimmune diseases, it has no single set of symptoms. Fortunately for Tiziana, a rheumatologist quickly confirmed she had lupus. She was admitted into hospital for three weeks of treatment.

Over the years Tiziana has experienced many challenges with her disease because of the many drugs she is required to take. Since her diagnosis, Tiziana has had five hip surgeries — a fibular graft, two hip replacements and two hip revisions (when one artificial joint is replaced by a second). While scientists have developed better ways of treating lupus, they are still striving to find a cure. In 1992, Tiziana decided she wanted to do something to help. She decided to host Dance for the Cure. What makes Tiziana’s efforts so special to the AARC Foundation is that a few years ago she decided that part of the proceeds from the annual gala dinner would be given to the AARC Foundation which raises funds for arthritis and autoimmune disease research. Her funds were specifically designated to lupus research under the direction of Dr. Murray Urowitz at Toronto Western. Since its inception, Dance for the Cure has raised over $225,000 for the AARC Foundation.

“Women in my family have had a history of heart disease and I know that because of my lupus, the odds for me are quite high. After a lot of research, I found that the Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) and its Registry for Atherosclerosis in SLE at the Toronto Western Hospital was clearly a research initiative I wanted to support.”

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There’s always an answer. We’ll find it.

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