Perhaps the best place to start would be to tell you why Joints In Motion is so near, and very dear, to my heart. My Mom, who was my best friend, suffered for over 20 years with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and then developed two other forms of arthritis in the last 10 years of her life. If you have never watched someone suffer with pain beyond anything you could ever comprehend, consider yourself extremely blessed! In between visits I called my Mom everyday and I could tell by her voice how her pain level was on that day. Sometimes she would barely be able to whisper because it was all she could manage. The arthritis also weakened her. There were many times she had no strength at all, she could not cut up a piece of meat on her plate, or lift a cup of tea for a drink. Now, the amazing part is, she never complained. I never heard her say once "Why me!" I believe once, or perhaps twice, she did have a little something to say about how she was hurting that day but she would quickly catch herself and scold herself for it.

Two of the medications my Mom took on a regular basis for arthritis weakened her bones to the point where she would cough and crack a rib. On December 2, 2008 the rib fractures compromised my Mom's breathing to the point where her body just could no longer fight, and she passed away at home. Arthritis destroyed my Mom's quality of life for over 20 years, and in the end, it caused her death. 

My Mom truly is my Hero! She taught me to be strong, to take pride in my accomplishments, and most of all to be proud of who I am.  So although the biggest reason for my support of The Arthritis Society is my Mom and all of those fighting this disease, I am also doing this for me. I am doing this to get in better shape, I am doing this for the unbelievable challenge, and I am doing this for self pride.

I miss Mom with all of my heart and I know that when I cross that finish line, she will be with me, because she is always with me, in spirit and in my heart.

I love you Mom, this one’s for you!