“I want to find a cure for arthritis. Don’t you?”
In February 2020, 10-year-old Esmee Guerrero (who is now 11) wrote the following essay for her 5th grade class assignment. She wanted to help classmates understand what living with juvenile arthritis is like. Esmee lives in California, was diagnosed with JA at age 6 and is passionate about conquering arthritis. If you’re not already with us, her thoughts may inspire you to join this growing movement.
Why You Should Donate to the Arthritis Foundation
“I donate to help my pain and the pain of others.”
By Esmee Guerrero
Arthritis is unbearable and intolerable pain. Arthritis is a disease that can cause inflammation and deterioration in joints and bones, causing excruciating pain. You should donate to the Arthritis Foundation because a cure needs to be found.
I know what this feels like, because I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was 6 years old. You should donate to the Arthritis Foundation because many children and adults have arthritis. Can you imagine not walking, jumping, playing and moving around your normal day? Many people, including myself, cannot do this because of this pain.
At one point, I had to get two shots in my arm every week, take a pill and drink a very disgusting medicine. Now I get one shot and two pills occasionally. Isn’t it remarkable what the Arthritis Foundation has done to provide research and cures? You can save many lives by donating. Help stop this terrible disease.
The Arthritis Foundation was started in 1948. It started because they needed to help people with arthritis. Left untreated, people’s bones got damaged and became deformed. The Arthritis Foundation helps people learn to control their disease.
They have juvenile arthritis camps that help kids make connections with other children who have arthritis while having fun and learning how to manage their illness. They have programs for children through teens. The Arthritis Foundation also funds research. You might not have a lot of money, but just $5 could change the world. I want to find a cure for arthritis. Don’t you?
One cause of arthritis is food. Because lots of foods cause swelling in the joints and bones. Like gluten, processed foods, flour, sugar and fried foods. People with arthritis are not supposed to have these foods because it causes inflammation in their joints.
Stress can also cause arthritis. Dust, fibers and second-hand smoke also cause arthritis.
The main reason you can get arthritis is genes in your body that create arthritis.
These next facts about arthritis are crazy. 300,000 children in the United States have arthritis. Isn’t that sad? 54 million Americans, or 1 out of 4 adults, plus all those children and their families, live with painful arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, juvenile arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the three main categories arthritis is divided into. The number of arthritis patients is rising dramatically. Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis at an early age. Arthritis is a long-term disability. It can last for months, years or a whole lifetime. "Arth" is Latin for "joint," and "itis" is Latin for "disease" or "inflammation." Some treatments that can help arthritis are fish oil supplements, hot and cold treatments, and exercise and movement.
Arthritis is unpleasant. Think of all of these facts and about donating to Arthritis Foundation.
Go to arthritis.org and click on DONATE. Select as much money as you please from $5 to a million and more. You can also do the Jingle Bell Run and Walk to Cure Arthritis.
This means a lot to me, and we all would appreciate it. Help change the world. Lives are changing every day, and every penny counts. I donate to help my pain and the pain of others. Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great thing, only small things with great love.”
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You can make a big difference this holiday season, like Esmee has through her birthday and Christmas gifts.
During December, your gift can be matched — dollar for dollar up to $50,000 — by CBDMedic. That means your donation can go twice as far to find better treatments and cures for people living with arthritis — people like Esmee.
Give a gift from your heart to fuel the arthritis movement and find a cure. This is our fight together — and our fight to win!
Why You Should Donate to the Arthritis Foundation
“I donate to help my pain and the pain of others.”
By Esmee Guerrero
Arthritis is unbearable and intolerable pain. Arthritis is a disease that can cause inflammation and deterioration in joints and bones, causing excruciating pain. You should donate to the Arthritis Foundation because a cure needs to be found.
I know what this feels like, because I was diagnosed with arthritis when I was 6 years old. You should donate to the Arthritis Foundation because many children and adults have arthritis. Can you imagine not walking, jumping, playing and moving around your normal day? Many people, including myself, cannot do this because of this pain.
At one point, I had to get two shots in my arm every week, take a pill and drink a very disgusting medicine. Now I get one shot and two pills occasionally. Isn’t it remarkable what the Arthritis Foundation has done to provide research and cures? You can save many lives by donating. Help stop this terrible disease.
The Arthritis Foundation was started in 1948. It started because they needed to help people with arthritis. Left untreated, people’s bones got damaged and became deformed. The Arthritis Foundation helps people learn to control their disease.They have juvenile arthritis camps that help kids make connections with other children who have arthritis while having fun and learning how to manage their illness. They have programs for children through teens. The Arthritis Foundation also funds research. You might not have a lot of money, but just $5 could change the world. I want to find a cure for arthritis. Don’t you?
One cause of arthritis is food. Because lots of foods cause swelling in the joints and bones. Like gluten, processed foods, flour, sugar and fried foods. People with arthritis are not supposed to have these foods because it causes inflammation in their joints.
Stress can also cause arthritis. Dust, fibers and second-hand smoke also cause arthritis.
The main reason you can get arthritis is genes in your body that create arthritis.
These next facts about arthritis are crazy. 300,000 children in the United States have arthritis. Isn’t that sad? 54 million Americans, or 1 out of 4 adults, plus all those children and their families, live with painful arthritis.
Osteoarthritis, juvenile arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the three main categories arthritis is divided into. The number of arthritis patients is rising dramatically. Women are more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis at an early age. Arthritis is a long-term disability. It can last for months, years or a whole lifetime. "Arth" is Latin for "joint," and "itis" is Latin for "disease" or "inflammation." Some treatments that can help arthritis are fish oil supplements, hot and cold treatments, and exercise and movement.
Arthritis is unpleasant. Think of all of these facts and about donating to Arthritis Foundation.
Go to arthritis.org and click on DONATE. Select as much money as you please from $5 to a million and more. You can also do the Jingle Bell Run and Walk to Cure Arthritis.
This means a lot to me, and we all would appreciate it. Help change the world. Lives are changing every day, and every penny counts. I donate to help my pain and the pain of others. Mother Teresa said, “We can do no great thing, only small things with great love.”
###
You can make a big difference this holiday season, like Esmee has through her birthday and Christmas gifts.
During December, your gift can be matched — dollar for dollar up to $50,000 — by CBDMedic. That means your donation can go twice as far to find better treatments and cures for people living with arthritis — people like Esmee.
Give a gift from your heart to fuel the arthritis movement and find a cure. This is our fight together — and our fight to win!