In this month’s newsletter:
  • Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser is Back!
  • Call for Participants: Life Hacks for Arthritis
  • This Election: Speak Up and Make Arthritis a Priority
  • Patient Survey on Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)
  • Improving Symptoms of Hip and Knee OA Through Education and Exercise Blog Post

Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser is Back!

Our annual Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser is back and will now be held twice a year. Until May 20th, you can buy the coffee you know and love (and our new hot chocolate) to support CAPA! Funds raised will go towards educational activities and supporting people living with arthritis. If you’re not a coffee person but would still like to donate, you can send us an e-transfer by following the instructions on our fundraiser page.

What have we been up to?

Call for Participants: Life Hacks for Arthritis

Do you have any creative life hacks, innovative adaptive strategies or devices or personal accommodations that help your daily function? We want to hear from you!

Marisa McRae & Sarah McCulloch are student researchers from McMaster University who are working with CAPA for the next few months (check out the new blog to learn more about them!). Participants will receive a $50 electronic gift card for their time! For the full details of the study, please contact: Marisa McRae at mcraem6@mcmaster.ca.

This Election: Speak Up and Make Arthritis a Priority

Send an email to party leaders and candidates to let them know arthritis is an urgent health priority. People living with arthritis and other inflammatory diseases deserve access to the care and treatments they need. It only takes 30 seconds to send a message. You can send a message in either English or French.

Letter to Federal Candidates

 

Earlier this month, we sent a letter to federal candidates urging urgent action on pharmaceutical supply issues. We’re calling for secure access to essential medications for all Canadians—especially those managing chronic conditions like arthritis—amid concerns over US tariffs and supply chain disruptions. You can read the letter here.
Help Shape Research About Living Independently with Arthritis
More than 6 million people in Canada have arthritis. It can make daily life harder—especially when spaces or tools aren’t easy to use. Right now, there is no clear answer on which assistive devices work best.

If you live with arthritis or work in health care, you can help guide future research. Join a virtual meeting in Fall 2025. This project is guided by a Steering Committee of patient partners and health researchers. To learn more or participate, email our Managing Director, Laurie Proulx, at director@arthritispatient.ca.

Get Involved

Patient Survey on Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA)

Vasculitis Foundation Canada (VFC) needs your help to understand your experience living with Giant Cell Arteritis or GCA to help inform physicians, politicians, and policymakers about your life with GCA.

The anonymous survey will take about 20-30 minutes to complete, you may take a break and return to complete the survey. Survey runs March 21 to June 21, 2025, and may run longer to collect more responses. Take the survey here!
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Parent/Caregiver Study

Are you a parent or caregiver of a child with juvenile idiopathic arthritis? Share your caregiver experience in a one-hour Zoom interview and receive a gift card for your time. Email Taiye Alawiye to sign up or scan the QR code at the bottom.

Useful Resources

Improving Symptoms of Hip and Knee OA Through Education and Exercise Blog Post
In this blog post, Rhona McGlasson discusses the GLA:D Canada program to help people living with osteoarthritis. The program is six to eight weeks long and entirely virtual. To learn more about the program and the sessions offered, read the blog post here.
World Health Day
World Health Day is celebrated annually on April 7th, and the theme for 2025 is “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” which is dedicated to maternal and newborn health since 2005. Check out our YouTube channel for two webinar series on pregnancy and arthritis, and parenting with arthritis.
CAPA on Bluesky
CAPA is now on Bluesky. Follow us to keep up to date on our activities, how to get involved, and for access to resources and community. Click here to follow!
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