StemCell Therapy

Amanda Hay knows firsthand the value of arthritis research.

The 30-year-old Sombra woman who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at age eight spent most of her childhood in a wheelchair until a new experimental drug became available.

After more than a decade in a wheelchair due to pain, Hay decided to take a chance on Enbrel, a biologic medicine that blocks the immune system from sending out signals that cause joint inflammation.

Within two weeks I was walking, said Hay, who had been forced to give up figure skating and other physical activities due to the pain she was experiencing.

Hay credits scientific advancements along with the support of her family and the Arthritis Society for helping her live a normal life.

More than two decades after her diagnosis, Hay works full-time and has learned to manage her debilitating pain through rest and exercise.

It's challenging, she said. I'm lucky enough that my company is supportive because I've educated them on my daily limits.

Hay hopes to raise more awareness about the chronic condition by hosting Sarnia-Lambton's first Walk to Fight Arthritis next month.

The fundraising walk with one-kilometre and five-kilometre route options is planned for June 4 at the Sombra ball park on Duke Street. Gates open at 9:30 a.m., with the walk slated to begin at 10:30 a.m.

Proceeds from the walk will benefit The Arthritis Society, a non-profit that funds research and provides local services out of Sarnia's Community Care Access Centre.

Those services include physical and occupational therapies, social work services and chronic pain management workshops.

Hay was inspired in part to host a local walk out of a desire to raise awareness about the local services provided by the Arthritis Society.

While Sarnia has never had its own Arthritis Society office, Hay said she's still been able to access services through the society, like a youth summer camp for young arthritis sufferers.

They're very willing to help anybody, she said.

More than 4.6 million Canadians aged 15 years and older currently report living with arthritis, according to The Arthritis Society. By 2036, it's estimated that one in every five Canadian adults will have arthritis.

But the debilitating joint-attacking condition can also impact the lives of children.

At age eight Hay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis a type of inflammatory arthritis that can cause swelling and pain in the hands and wrists through to the knees and feet after she went numb on the left side of her body overnight.

Right away (the doctor) said, 'She has rheumatoid arthritis,' Hay recalled. My mom said, 'That's impossible. Kids don't have arthritis.'

But Hay's parents soon accepted the diagnosis and started working with their daughter to improve her quality of life.

I've been lucky that my parents pushed me when I was younger to do my therapy and wear my splints, said Hay, who eventually had to undergo orthopedic surgery to get staples in her growth plate.

As a child, Hay served as a local spokesperson for The Arthritis Society, but she didn't reconnect with the non-profit again until a few years ago when she started participating in London's annual Walk To Fight Arthritis.

In 2016, Hay was named the top fundraiser for the London walk, collecting $5,000 for the charity from family, friends and a few local companies.

That's when she was approached about starting a Sarnia-area walk because she and a small group of fellow arthritis sufferers were travelling from Lambton County annually to raise dollars in London.

She immediately saw the value in hosting a local Walk to Fight Arthritis an event that has connected her with other arthritis survivors and served as inspiration for her to continue her own fight with the condition.

It's made me look at my case and say, 'I'm not as bad off as others.'

To register for the walk either as a participant or a volunteer Hay can be contacted at sarniawalktofightarthritis@arthritis.ca or at 519-402-3832.

bsimpson@postmedia.com

--- --- ---

IF YOU GO

What: Walk to Fight Arthritis

When: June 4. Gates open at 9:30 a.m. Walk starts at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Sombra ball park, Duke Street

Continued here:
Arthritis sufferer hopes to raise awareness about local services - Sarnia Observer

This entry was posted on May 8, 2017 at 6:45 pm and is filed under Arthritis. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |