For Cari Hernández Robles, music serves as the ultimate remedy and a great reason to bring attention to systemic sclerosis, a rare autoimmune disease that affects the skin by causing it to harden. Diagnosed at the young age of 43, with three nearly teenage children to care for, she struggled to move and attend to her own needs.
Once she began to feel some relief, she was determined to contribute towards research efforts. Since 2017, this La Orotava resident has been organising the Charity Concert in aid of rheumatic conditions. All proceeds from this event are dedicated to supporting the Association for Rheumatology Research Aid (Reuninves) at the University Hospital of the Canary Islands (HUC), where Cari receives treatment.
This initiative is a joint effort with her husband, Alfonso García, who is also a musician and has always been by her side throughout this journey, along with other family members and numerous friends.
The sixth edition of this event will take place on Saturday, 6th July at 8.30pm at the Teobaldo Power Auditorium. This year’s line-up includes Fernando García, Pepe Benavente, Sabina Tribute, Boleros entre amigos, Alfonso y Cari, Parranda Bentahod, and Jesús Farrais. All artists are generously offering their performances free of charge.
Tickets are priced at 10 euros and can be purchased from various outlets in the town, such as the Taoro Confectionery Cafeteria (Casa Egon), the BJ Jeans store on Calle Tomás Calamita, and Bar Los Carajitos on Calle Juan Cullen.
The Significance of Research
With the motto ‘Never Give Up! Because It Could Happen to Any of Us’, Cari emphasises that rheumatic conditions, ranging from osteoarthritis to fibromyalgia or ankylosing spondylitis, affect a significant number of individuals, including children. With over 250 known types worldwide, these conditions lead to work-related disabilities, often without people even being aware of their existence. Her aspiration is for comprehensive research to be conducted on all these conditions, despite recognising the challenges of achieving this goal in the near future.
The ultimate goal of such research is to develop medications that can halt and slow down the progression of these conditions, alleviating pain, preventing deformities, and ultimately enhancing the quality of life for those affected.
