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Erin, 12, has been selected the Youth Honoree for this year’s Jingle Bell/Walk Run for Arthritis on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Purchase College in Purchase, N.Y. Readers can support her and her team, Erin’s Elves, by donating through her online fundraising page.
Until last year, Erin enjoyed sports, dance and karate, where she earned her green belt and was a junior instructor. The onset of Rheumatoid Arthritis in June 2013 changed everything.
The vibrant pre-teen could not participate in normal activities.
“I had difficulty going up and down stairs,’’ she said. “Everything always hurt. I had pain in my hip, knee, ankles, fingers, wrists and jaw.”
She lost 12 pounds in just three months. Physicians tried different medications. Finally, in January 2014, with Erin still suffering pain and swelling in her joints, physicians found a medication that helped ease the girl’s pain.
At last year’s Jingle Bell Walk/Run, Erin's family pushed her in a stroller. She walked across the finish line. “I hope to walk the whole thing this year,’’ she said.
When Erin attended an Arthritis Foundation reception in February, another young girl with arthritis asked Erin to attend an arthritis summer camp.
“I attended not one, but two Arthritis Foundation summer camps where I met other kids my age who understood what it is like to live with the pain, the treatments, the blood work and the ongoing doctor visits associated with arthritis,’’ she said. “Attending these camps was very helpful to me to meet other children with arthritis and to work with counselors who understood my disease.”
Erin has returned to dance, softball and basketball. She credits the Arthritis Foundation for helping her get back in the games. She hopes to encourage other children with arthritis in her role as the Youth Honoree.
“My goal is to let other kids like me know they’re not alone,’’ she said. “We are part of 300,000 children and 50 million adults who have arthritis. With the help of the Arthritis Foundation, current and future medications and a positive attitude, we can win the fight against arthritis.”
For more information and to register for the Jingle Bell Walk/Run for Arthritis, click here.
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