Arthritis, especially when it affects children, can result in having to say No to many, many things. Just getting out of bed can be a challenge, let alone battling big insurance or pharmaceutical companies to gain access to care that’s needed to manage the disease. While we do all we can to help increase the number of everyday victories, there are times when big victories are achieved in the lives of those with arthritis. And when they are, we celebrate them.

Just this past month, after a three-year-long fight, Zane Breier, who suffers from scleroderma morphea, achieved one of these victories. Last year, in the middle of his fight, Zane was our Youth Honoree for the Jingle Bell Run event in San Diego, helping raise awareness, support and funds for our collective fight against arthritis. At the same time, his condition was rapidly declining and began to spread and affect more areas of his body. Plastic surgery became a consideration, as Zane’s face, tongue and eyes were affected by his disease. He had to have gum grafts, and he and his family began to lose hope. The fight became tiring and the obstacles felt insurmountable.
Continue readingArthritis Foundation Helps Achieve a Big Victory in One Boy’s Fight Against Arthritis→