Help millions of people live with less pain and fund groundbreaking research to discover a cure for this devastating disease.
Fighting Three Life-threatening Conditions, Skylar Is a True Inspiration
On World Lupus Day, we want to share this young Hawaiian woman’s story about battling lupus and how her positive outlook has helped in her journey — and maybe can help in yours. Skylar Soares is an ambitious, enthusiastic and inspiring young woman who wears many hats. In 2013, at age 12, Skylar became a budding fashion designer who was named the Small Business Hawaii Entrepreneur of the Year. Fast forward to today. Now, she’s a sophomore at Boston University, on her way to pursuing a doctorate in psychiatry. How time flies. Along the way, Skylar, now 19, has also worn the hat ...more
Sharing Arthritis Patient COVID-19 Experiences
By Rebecca Gillett, MS OTR/L - Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast Co-Host It has been a really hard year. We have all dealt with increased stress and anxiety over the fear of the unknown when it comes to the pandemic and COVID-19. We have spent so much time washing hands, social distancing and wearing masks to keep from contracting and spreading COVID-19, learning a little more as we moved along the way. For those of us living with arthritis, the fear has been palpable and has surrounded every aspect of our daily lives. Since before it was even called a “pandemic,” I had spent my days gathering as much information as possible to help disseminate it to our arthritis ...more
April 2021 Arthritis News Roundup
The Arthritis Foundation is your trusted source for arthritis-related news and COVID updates that affect people with arthritis. Here’s a wrap-up of the headlines from this past month. COVID-19 Impact Studied in Patients With Lupus Severe COVID-19 infection was more likely in hospitalized patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who had comorbidities and risk factors associated with severe infection in the general population, according to a recent study. Read more. Learn more about how lupus affects the body and what can be done to treat it. Vaccine Strategies for Patients on Antirheumatic Drugs U.K. experts propose evidence-based management strategies for rheumatology patients on immunosuppressive therapy, including delaying/postponing ...moreYoung Adult Spotlight: Shane Cox – A Voice for the Invisible
A junior at Chico State University in California, Shane Cox might appear like just your average 20-year-old student. But when you take a closer look, you’ll notice something different about him. It’s not the handicapped plate on his pickup truck or the Humira injections he gives himself that really sets Shane apart from his peers. Instead, it’s his dedication to giving other kids with JA hope for their future that really makes him special. It’s his pay-it-forward attitude that made it easy to convince him to be the 2021 National JA Conference chair. And to make it even better, he’s ...more
The Core of Our Arthritis Community
More than 250 volunteers provide support and connections as forum moderators and support group facilitators. Friends and family can lend a sympathetic ear and shoulder to lean on when you’re having a hard time. But there’s nothing like having someone to turn to who has faced the same kinds of challenges and really gets what you’re going through. That’s especially true when you’re dealing with chronic pain and the hardships that come with living with arthritis. That’s why the moderators of our Live Yes! Online Community forums and facilitators of our Live Yes! Connect Groups are so essential. More than 250 people ...moreVolunteers Drive Our Advocacy Work
From local communities to state legislatures and policy makers to the federal level, volunteers fuel the Arthritis Foundation’s advocacy success. Here’s a look at those who lead the way in changing laws and regulations to help people living with arthritis. State Advocacy Chairs and Committees: Boots on the Ground State Advocacy Committees are the embodiment of our “boots on the ground” work. Chairs and Committee Members serve as the eyes, ears and voices of the Arthritis Foundation at the state level, communicating with Advocates regularly about upcoming action opportunities, news updates and exciting events. As our program shifted over the past year, ...moreNational Volunteer Week Spotlight:Community Leaders Bring Us Closer to a Cure
April 18 to 24 is National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to recognize the impact of volunteer service and the power of volunteers to tackle society’s greatest challenges. Arthritis is a widespread and challenging disease that affects at least 54 million Americans, probably millions more. The reason the Arthritis Foundation exists is to conquer arthritis — offering solutions for today and hope for tomorrow. Volunteers lead our fight, so all week long we want to take a moment to recognize and salute all Arthritis Foundation volunteers for their generous commitment and hard work. Frank Longobardi is national board chair of the Arthritis ...more
CARRA 2021 Advancements for Juvenile Arthritis
This April, the Arthritis Foundation was pleased to participate in the first-ever virtual annual scientific meeting of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA). The Arthritis Foundation and CARRA have been working together for almost 20 years, combining our areas of expertise to address questions and find solutions that are important to the community we support. Our collaboration has led to amazing progress. Together, we’ve gained so much more knowledge. We’re comparing existing treatments, developing new treatments, advancing precision medicine and accomplishing even more. This event brought together physicians, nurses, patients, parents and representatives from health advocacy organizations to develop, design and operationalize ...more