Jake and I are going to walk in Dallas!!

I just posted this on my family blog hoping to raise some funds for the NPF. You can track our progress by pressing the link to my personal page on the bottom of this letter. We have never done a walk before but we are very excited to be involved. Have any of you done a walk in the past? We will post pictures of it all when we finish in September. Wish us luck! :)

Dear Blogger buddies,

I know there are many wonderful worthwhile causes that you can choose to support but I am asking you today to support a cause that is very close to my family.

I think most of you know that our son Jacob has psoriasis. He developed the disease when he was six years old and he has spent the last two and half years trying to stay clear. Jacob now is under the care of a wonderful doctor in Dallas who has kept him all cleared up now for three months. He takes serious medications in order to keep his skin and body healthy. Last weekend when Jacob and I were in Orlando for the National Psoriasis Foundation conference we learned about a walk for awareness that will be going on in Dallas on September 20th. Jacob really wanted to participate in the fund raiser/awareness raiser and I did as well. We signed up as a team to walk and now we are asking our friends, family, coworker and any one else who will listen for donations. The foundation does amazing work to better the lives of people with psoriasis. Jacob and I are blessed to be associated with such wonderful caring people. We really want to give back and try and bring more light to this disease.

Psoriasis is a common, chronic, noncontagious skin disease that causes red, scaly patches, which can appear on any part of the body. It can cause the skin to itch, crack and bleed as well as hair to fall out. Psoriasis on the hands or feet can prevent people from doing everyday tasks such as writing or walking. Ten percent to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. The National Psoriasis Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life of people who have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Through education and advocacy, the Psoriasis Foundation promotes awareness and understanding, ensures access to treatment, and supports research that will lead to effective management and, ultimately, a cure. According to the National Institutes of Health, as many as 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis (of which approximately 1 million of these patients are children). I am asking you to help me make a difference in the lives of those affected by this disease.

I know money is tight for most families right now but if you felt you had it in your budget to participate in this cause we would greatly appreciate it. We sent out emails inviting many of you to participate but we didn't have every one's email addresses so I thought I would post it here on my blog as well. To make a donation please go to my personal page to find out more about psoriasis or other ways you can help with finding a cure please go to the National Psoriasis Foundation website.

Thank you all so much for your kind words, prayers and support,

The Clement Family