Portland, Oregon – More than 400 walkers from the Portland/Vancouver area are supporting the Arthritis Foundation’s mission to cure arthritis and help people with arthritis live a full life by participating in the 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis on May 20, 2017, at Esther Short Park in Vancouver. Walk to Cure Arthritis brings together communities nationwide to fight arthritis – the nation’s leading cause of disability.
More than 50 million Americans including 300,000 kids have arthritis. In Oregon and Washington, 2.2 million adults and 9,500 children have arthritis. Costing the U.S. economy $156 billion dollars a year, arthritis causes more activity limitation than heart disease, cancer or diabetes.
“Arthritis is more than just a few minor aches and pains. It’s a debilitating disease that robs people of their dreams,” says Senior Development Director Kim Lowry “When you support Walk to Cure Arthritis, you become a Champion of Yes, helping us build a lifetime of better, while accelerating the search for a cure. Whether you are close to the disease or simply looking for an inspiring charity event that truly makes a difference, Walk to Cure Arthritis provides people the opportunity to experience the power of standing together and giving back to the community. Together, participants can help us reach our goal of raising $55,000.”
To learn more and register for the Vancouver Walk to Cure Arthritis, visit WalktoCureArthritis.org/Vancouver or contact Jeannine Walker at 503-245-5695 Ext.101.
To help bring this event to its fullest potential, we brought together local leaders to help excite the community and fundraise, including:
- Lisa Vasanth, MD, Walk to Cure Arthritis Medical Honoree
- Emily Stout, Walk to Cure Arthritis Young Adult Honoree
- Amaya Appiah, Walk to Cure Arthritis Youth Honoree
Lisa Vasanth, MD, of the Vancouver Clinic is this year’s medical honoree. Dr. Vasanth aims to improve her patients' quality of life and their ability to manage chronic illness using a team approach which focuses on communication, education and evidence-based medicine. Dr. Vasanth has a special interest in musculoskeletal ultrasound, inflammatory bowel disease related arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and osteoarthritis.
Emily Stout is this year’s young adult honoree. Throughout middle school, Emily’s knees ached almost every day. Much to the worry of her parents, she visibly limped when walking. Being afraid of doctors, Emily always downplayed the severity when her parents asked how she was doing.
“Of course, they still hauled me into the orthopedic surgeon’s office a few times, though we were always told I was having growing pains and sent home,” says Emily.
During Emily’s senior year in high school, she fell in love with Portland State University (PSU). After graduation she enrolled at PSU and leapt at the chance to explore the city, walking all over the downtown area. Three days later, while back at home in Alaska, Emily’s left hip began to hurt worse than ever. This “growing pain” got worse and worse, and was accompanied by back pain. Emily was not able to walk or stand up. Finally, her orthopedic surgeon requested a blood draw and labs. The results sent her straight to the Randall’s Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic, where she was diagnosed and treated for arthritis.
Amaya Appiah is this year’s youth honoree. Amaya is a typical 12 year-old, who loves to dance, sing, act and read. She maintains a constant smile and bubbly personality while living with the chronic and daily pain of polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and uveitis. She was diagnosed at the age of 10.
Amaya’s positive attitude is both amazing and inspiring. She says, “Having arthritis as a child is not normal. But who wants to be normal?” Her goal is to educate everyone about this invisible disease that physically limits her from participating in some school activities. She hopes to create a better understanding of arthritis and end the bullying that happens when children are different and challenged. She wishes all children with challenges were strong enough to admit their limitations define what they can do; yet do not define who they are and what they can become.
The Walk to Cure Arthritis is nationally presented by Amgen and sponsored locally by The Vancouver Clinic.
About the Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation (arthritis.org) is the Champion of Yes. Leading the fight for the arthritis community, the Foundation helps conquer everyday battles through life-changing information and resources, access to optimal care, advancements in science and community connections. The Arthritis Foundation’s goal is to chart a winning course, guiding families in developing personalized plans for living a full life – and making each day another stride towards a cure. The Foundation also publishes Arthritis Today, the award-winning magazine that reaches 4 million readers per issue.
