Why I Am Walking in My Local Arthritis Walk

It's only Monday and I have already been asked three times this week "If you are in so much pain, why are you walking in the Arthritis Walk?" I can recite statistics if it would help, but I don't believe it would. For me, there is a complicated/simple answer.

• I walk for the 50 Millions American Adults and 300,000 American children with a form of doctor diagnosed arthritis.

• I walk for those who lost their battles and will never see a cure or even enough help to continue to fight.

• I walk for those with Rheumatoid Arthritis like me and for those with other forms of Arthritis.

• I walk so that the next generation of those with my disease will not need to take 228 pills and one injection a week as I do just to be able to function at some level as I have to do.

I walk for hope. I walk for cures. I may need to use a walker or a cane that day; others may be in wheelchairs. I may not make the entire length of the walk, but I will show up and walk for myself and everyone else and thank everyone else for walking. On May 5th, I will walk at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for the 2012 Cleveland Arthritis Walk. If you are able, I ask that you donate to my Arthritis Walk Campaign or Join my Walk Team. Or start your own walk team at your local walk event. Whatever you do, participate! I will not see a cure for my Rheumatoid Arthritis in my lifetime but my hope is to find cures for many within the next few generations.

#arthritiswalk