Here is Renee's interview with Lauren Amendola, Executive Director of the Arthritis Foundation Connecticut Chapter, and 15 year old survivor, Madeline Barney.
They share the latest updates, including info on this year's virtual walk! Madeline also shares her personal story and journey living with arthritis.
Listen here:
Madeline's Story
Hi! My name is Madeline Barney and I am an Arthritis Warrior. My experience with arthritis began when I was 13 years old. I woke up one morning and saw that I had rashes up and down my whole body. The rashes came and went for a few days, and then I also started to get extremely high fevers and wasn’t able to move out of bed without being in excruciating pain.
After a few weeks like this, and lots of doctor visits and blood work later, I was sent to a rheumatologist, Dr. Lawrence Zemel, at CT Children’s Hospital in Hartford, CT. My condition is extremely rare and it wasn’t until weeks after it began that I was diagnosed by Dr. Zemel with SJIA (systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis).
Read my full story here!
Connecticut dates:
2021 Virtual Walk to Cure Arthritis - Greater Hartford and in Fairfield - Sunday, May 16, 2021
The arthritis community needs your support now more than ever. Now is the time to join the movement at the arthritis community's premier event, Walk to Cure Arthritis. More than 54 million Americans - including 300,000 children - live with the debilitating pain and daily challenges of arthritis. This year encourage everyone you know to give 54 dollars, tell 54 people about arthritis and move 54 steps, minutes or miles - and share it all on social media.
This year's Walk to Cure Arthritis will feature events across the country, so anyone can participate from anywhere. Tell your family, friends neighbors and co-workers to join you today!
Together, as part of the arthritis community, we can all raise the much-needed awareness and funds for life-changing treatments and resources and have fun and stay active while driving the needle closer to a cure.
HOW DO I GET INVOLVED:
- REGISTER FOR THE WALK.
- FORM A TEAM AND RAISE FUNDS WITH FRIENDS, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY.
- DON'T WANT TO WALK? VOLUNTEER!
For help or more information about Walk to Cure Arthritis - Greater Hartford, contact Lauren Amendola at lamendola@arthritis.org, or call 860-506-3441.