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Who Moves You: Your Stories
Oscar: A Superhero Fighting Arthritis
Lucas Arab doesn’t hang a poster of his hero up on his bedroom wall. There are no action figures, colouring books or blockbuster movies.
Renee Crouse: Doing Her Part to Find a Cure
Renee Crouse has lived most of her life with a disease many people believe she’s still too young to have.
Minor Hockey Shouldn’t Have to Hurt
When someone describes a hockey player as having a “high threshold of pain”, one’s mind drifts to the playoff heroes on Saturday night television – bearded warriors with missing teeth and tattered stitches putting in another shift of hard work.
Kendra Parsons Named Walk Ambassador For Paradise Walk To Fight Arthritis
Kim and Ryan Parsons woke one Sunday morning to hear their six-year-old daughter, Kendra, dragging herself through the hallway.
Jillian Starkey named Walk Hero for 2016 Fredericton Walk to Fight Arthritis 28-year-old was diagnosed on her 18th birthday
Jillian Starkey will always remember her 18th birthday. It was the day she was diagnosed with arthritis.
Medavie Blue Jewels: Community Spirit in Support of Arthritis
When it comes to the Medavie Blue Jewels, a little bit of soup goes a long way. The same goes for cookies, gift baskets and other fundraisers the group holds annually to help the more than 212,000 Nova Scotians living with arthritis.
Who could say no to this face?!
Maddie Umbach is not your average 7-year-old. She may only be about 34 pounds, and 43 inches tall, but it’s not size that matters – it’s heart.
A princess's journey to fight arthritis
Typically, arthritis is often thought of as a disease associated with aging, but did you know that children get arthritis too? The Arthritis Society estimates that as many as 24,000 Canadian children aged 18 and under live with a form of arthritis – that’s more than 3 out of every 1,000 kids.
Nik only knows life with arthritis
Nik only knows life with arthritis. Diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at just 22 months, the 22-year-old Halifax resident grew up with the disease, missing school time for doctor’s appointments, managing his fatigue levels and dealing with medications much younger than most should.
Emma's journey to find a cure
On January 26, 2009 – my daughter Emma, a happy and healthy little redheaded girl arrived. She grew normally and hit all her milestones on time. She was walking by 11 months and smiled all of the time.
The challenge, above all
An accomplished athlete, seasoned kinesiologist and true entrepreneur, Naomi Ban is a positive person who shows great character when faced with adversity.
Jack's inspirational journey with arthritis
In November 2013, after months of illness and too many frightening trips to emergency, 13-year-old Jack Hornecker was admitted to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Jack was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, as well as macrophage activation syndrome. This is a rare and very serious complication that meant Jack’s liver and spleen were severely inflamed.
Why she walks for arthritis
Overwhelmed with ankylosing spondylitis at age 22, Christy Dunn slowly took control of her life. Still, scooping her infant from the crib can be a monumental effort.
A life-defining diagnosis
Heather Starmans, a 33-year-old in Whitby, Ontario, turned a life-changing diagnosis into a life-defining opportunity.
Wise beyond her six years
Six-year-old Taiyah Reinhart enjoys activities that are typical of a child her age: rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, crafts, painting and colouring. However, there are times when these activities can be a bit of a challenge.
'I think of people who have it worse than I do'
One of Duncan Bull's earliest memories is being unable to sit down and cross his legs like other preschoolers. "You don't quite realize at the time how different you are," he says now. "But every so often there would be something."
Jenna Small and her Community in Motion
Being a three-year-old flower girl at her uncle's wedding with knees so swollen she required help down the aisle. Playing tag at recess and, not able to move well enough, always being "it."
Rock star fundraiser
Three mornings a week, 12-year-old Sebastian Sundquist wakes up at 5:30 a.m. to work out with his father in Prince George, B.C. He wakes up stiff and sore, but his juvenile idiopathic arthritis is only a minor obstacle in his way. This September he plans to join his dad in a 5-kilometre run, half of which is uphill.
Not alone
Few Canadians participate in more arthritis-related events than 9-year-old Sophie Watt and her mother Melanie from Fredericton. They do so to connect with others and seek relief from challenges imposed by juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
CJ's extraordinary life with arthritis
On his way to the 2011 Walk to Fight Arthritis in Ottawa, having raised $1,800 in just nine days, 9-year-old CJ Bucholtz was suffering. The bullying at school had only worsened after his diagnosis with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. His medication was making him constantly nauseous. He asked his mother if he was "ordinary."
