Announcing the 2010 Scleroderma Student Essay Contest Winners

The Scleroderma Foundation is proud to announce three winners and three runners-up for the 2010 Scleroderma Student Essay Contest! All students selected for awards presented creative, informative, and well-written essays on scleroderma. The student winners are:

Madison Patchell

Mary Rose Noonan

Evelyn Rajan

Grade 4–6 Winner: Madison Patchell (Grade 6) of Richboro, Pennsylvania

Madison's essay titled, "How Does Scleroderma Affect a Human Body?" discussed an general overview of scleroderma and the various ways in which it impacts one's health and well-being. Madison emphasized the importance of increased research funding to find a cure for the disease.

Grade 7–9 Winner: Mary Rose Noonan (Grade 9) of Utica, New York

Mary Rose's essay titled, "Scleroderma: A Present Marked by Progress – A Future Rooted in Hope" researched the causes, treatments, demographics, history, and types of scleroderma. Mary Rose also incorporated her own case study profiling her aunt, Sister Mary Rose Noonan, CSJ, (who has the disease) to understand what scleroderma is like from a patient's perspective. Overall, Mary Rose's paper presented a thorough examination of scleroderma and emphasized a future with improved treatments and the development of a cure.

Grade 10–12 Winner: Evelyn Rajan (Grade 12) of Briarcliff Manor, New York

Rajan's essay, titled "The Correlation Between Depression Symptoms and Length of Disease in Scleroderma Patients" ranked the highest in her grade category, 10–12. Rajan's essay incorporated studies from noted researchers Maureen Mayes, M.D., and Thomas Medsger, M.D., to determine the relationship between scleroderma and depression. Rajan also incorporated her own patient surveys to present a thorough, original piece of research on scleroderma.

All winners listed above get a choice of either hotel accommodations and registration for one adult and one child to the 2010 National Patient Education Conference in Boston, OR a new Wii system or new iPod (based on comparable value).

In addition to the three winners listed above, three runner-up student essays were selected to receive honorable mention certificates from the Foundation. The three certificates were given to:

• Aileen Jiang (Grade 11) of Belle Mead, New Jersey, for her essay on "CREST Syndrome"
• Laura Cox (Grade 10) of Westbury, New York, for her essay on "Scleroderma"
• Kelsey Robidoux (Grade 8) of Collierville, Tennessee, for her essay on "My Hero's Fight"

The Scleroderma Foundation would like to thank all students who participated in the Foundation's 2010 Student Essay Contest. All contributions were much appreciated and showcased the dedication and commitment of youths across the nation to spread awareness about scleroderma. Congratulations to all!