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Caitlin Ryan and Jennifer Wescott share a bond that is common for far too many – a diagnosis of juvenile arthritis (JA) at the age of 3. Yet the two 2010 National Arthritis Walk Honorees have refused to let their diagnoses get the best of them. Committed to raising awareness about the disease, they are leading the charge in the Foundation’s annual Arthritis Walk, held in more than 275 communities nationwide, to raise funds for research and arthritis programs.
A Young Girl’s Determination
Like most 11-year-old girls, Caitlin cherishes weekend sleepovers and listening to Hannah Montana. Yet unlike her girlfriends in her hometown of Long Beach, Calif., Caitlin is in constant pain.
She’s tried most arthritis treatments without much relief and now has permanent joint damage from the disease and years of medication. Last August she became one of the youngest patients ever to undergo hip replacement surgery, and she may need to have her right hip replaced next summer.
Caitlin’s mother, Colleen, says Caitlin was determined to recover quickly. “After the hip surgery, Caitlin used the walker for just one week and put it down,” says Colleen. “And she hasn’t picked it up since.”
Caitlin goes to physical therapy once a week and stays active with either physical education or dance class as part of her school’s curriculum. She also swims three times a week.
Caitlin has walked with her 134-member Orange Country Arthritis Walk team, “Princess Parade,” the past five years, raising more than $100,000. She’s also walked for her friend in the Southern California Arthritis Walk and alongside her grandmother in Oregon for the first Southern Oregon Arthritis Walk held last September.
“The Walk is good because you can gather around people who have arthritis and who support arthritis, and you can walk for a cure together,” says Caitlin.
She’s grateful to be involved with the Foundation and the Walk just so she can become friends with others her age who are living with the disease.
“When I meet other kids my age who have arthritis, we talk about when we were diagnosed, what medicines we’ve been on,” says Caitlin. “At the Walk you can meet new people who may be your age or younger who all know how you are feeling.”
Finding Comfort as an Adult
When Jennifer was growing up, she didn’t know anyone who had arthritis except for older people. “I didn’t have anyone to talk to who could understand what I was going through, so it was really tough,” says Jennifer, now 36.
Jennifer lives in Crown Point, Ind., and works as a substitute teacher at a local middle school. She had her first joint replacement surgery at age 13 on her right hand. Surgery on her feet followed soon after.
“Arthritis has affected every joint in my body except for my hips,” she says.
Now a single mother of a 5-year-old boy who keeps her going, Jennifer also stays active by taking regular walks and dancing when the pain is bearable. She’s tried five medications in the last five years, and is finally getting some relief with the biologic infliximab (Remicade).
Jennifer has been involved with the Northwest Indiana Arthritis Walk for five years, and each year her team has grown. Her middle school’s students even joined her team, “Jen’s Team,” at last year’s Walk and raised more than $1,000 by themselves. She also raises money for the Foundation by hosting fundraising parties and collecting raffle prizes and money from local retailers, family and friends.
“For a long time, I never talked about arthritis,” says Jennifer. “I felt like if I talked about it, then I had to acknowledge that I really had it and the arthritis would win.”
Jennifer’s now committed to raising awareness so that others will not suffer as long as she has.
“I told myself that instead of being upset and hiding, I need to step out and start educating others to donate money to help have better research and medicine,” she says. “We have to spread the word that arthritis is not just an old person’s disease, it affects everyone.”
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