Renee Cafaro from New York City has been named the National Adult Honoree of the Arthritis Foundation‘s signature event — 2015 Walk to Cure Arthritis. The event is held across the country and is intended to raise awareness concerning arthritis and the urgent necessity of finding a cure.
31 year-old Cafaro started experiencing serious pain when she was only 11. About 10 years after she finally received a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and a secondary one of seronegative arthritis which affects the tendons. In spite of these serious diagnoses, Cafaro felt relief because she finally had a diagnosis which motivated her to speak out about her disease to others.
This spring, Renee will lead tens of thousands of individuals in walks across the country to emphasize and to raise awareness concerning the prevalence of arthritis in people of all ages and the urgency for research to find new treatments and an eventual cure. On May 16, walkers will cross the Brooklyn Bridge at the New York City Walk to Cure Arthritis and Renee will lead them.
“Renee has been a champion for people living with arthritis and we are thrilled to have her as our National Adult Honoree. Her passion and commitment to heightening awareness about arthritis will help adults and children living with the disease make better strides toward treating and managing their condition,” said Ingrid Montecino, the CEO and President of Arthritis Northeast Region.
Renee said: “I am honored to lend a voice to the many others like me who didn’t think it was possible to have arthritis at such a young age. Arthritis is the nation’s number one cause of disability. By raising awareness, we can help people understand the symptoms and get the treatment and support they need.”
Arthritis is a debilitating and very painful disease that affects over 50 million adults, about one in each five adults; it affects people of all ages. Two-thirds of those suffering with arthritis have less than 65 years old, it includes about 300,000 children. In New York only there are 18,400 children and 3.6 million adults that live with arthritis.