Welcome to the AFIndiana Blog!

Welcome to the new Arthritis Foundation, Indiana blog! We’re excited to launch a new way to communicate with our supporters and friends news, events, advice and information about our chapter and arthritis-related diseases. From the behind-the-scenes peaks of our events, including Arthritis Walk®, Bone Bash and Jingle Bell Run, to the amazing courage of survivors, this is the place to check out what’s happening.

Katy Brown

Most importantly, this blog represents the community of our Arthritis Foundation in Indiana. Those with arthritis and related diseases, volunteers, medical professionals, financial supporters and staff will be contributing. It is our story of the connection we each have to arthritis and related conditions that brings us together to provide a better life for those living with these conditions, and eventually, a cure.

Katy Brown is an example of who’s a part of our community. Katy is this year’s Indianapolis Arthritis Walk® Honoree. When you think of Katy, you think of an elegant flower: beautiful, captivating, tender and full of joy and sunshine. These are natural qualities Katy possesses. But Katy also shares another quality with an alluring flower. She is delicate in her structures. Katy has had juvenile idiopathic arthritis since she was two.

Dr. Richard Bell

Dr. Richard Bell is another member of our community and this year’s Evansville Arthritis Walk® Medical Honoree. Dr. Bell is a member of the American College of Physicians and a fellow member of the American College of Rheumatology. With both practical and research experience, Dr. Bell has been helping people with arthritis for over 30 years.

We have a big job ahead of us. With 1.4 million people in Indiana living with arthritis, 6,400 are children; there are many more people to reach. That equates to one in every five Hoosiers. We challenge each reader to not only get involved themselves, but also reach out to one more. Keep up on our website, join us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or call our office 1.800.783.2342. Consider taking a next step by participating in one of our events, volunteering, donating or joining one of our exercise programs.

It will take our entire community to fulfill our mission. We hope you’ll consider being a part of it.

Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/data_statistics.htm

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/18000.html