Definitely not a good thing to have. It is autoimmune, but very serious. Some doctors call it systemic sclerosis. If it's just her skin, it's going to affect it by becoming thick and tight, fingers get deformed and other symptoms. If it's affecting the nervous system then all the organs are affected - the lungs, kidneys, heart, digestive system etc.
It can't be cured but is manageable to a degree. Doctors use prednisone, not fun but the best choice to control this. I would compare it to a mixture of lupus, rheumatoid arthritis type thing and prednisone helps a lot in those cases. Side effects? Yes, but better side effects than no treatment. Sorry I can't be more encouraging. My cousin has it and has been on prednisone since he was 16 and he has a few relapses now and again.