Saturday, December 12 HealthAmerica (3721 TecPort Drive, Harrisburg) Registration - 8:30-9:50am 5K Run/Walk - 10am 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk - 11am Kid's Candy Lane Shuffle - 11:30am
Meet our Child Honoree: Spencer Lindner
Aside from his charming attributes and hypnotic dimples, Spencer is the son of Scott and Shelley Lindner of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At age 3, Spencer has experienced many loves in his young life. He was so overcome by his own humor when he learned how to walk and felt rewarded by smiles. This attribute is evident in his own story of being diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis just one year ago.
Unlike any other typical morning we awoke to noises coming from Spencer’s bedroom. We peeked into Spencer’s bedroom to see what was behind the sounds we were hearing and to our dismay, we saw Spencer limping toward his potty. Without a spoken word, we raised our eyebrows at one another as we knew something wasn’t right. For the next couple days, we watched him struggle to make just one step or fall to the ground in defeat so he could crawl to get around. After two long months of watching Spencer struggle with medications that did not seem to work, we could only agree with the suggestion of our God graced doctor and made the tough decision to put our three year old under anesthesia so his knees could be injected with cortisone. That decision changed Spencer’s life. From the moment he woke up after the surgery, Spencer wanted to get out of bed and walk. And walk he did. Since we left the hospital Spencer has been walking, spinning in circles, and running. It has been about 10 months since the injections and Spencer has not shown any further episodes of his arthritis flaring up. While we understand at any given moment the inflammation could flare up, how he will continue to undergo eye exams every three months for the next 10 years or so, and how he’ll have follow-up visits with Dr. Ostrov—our reciprocated understanding smiles have returned. Returned because we were given the knowledge through the Arthritis Foundation, and because we know we will always be proud of Spencer. While Spencer might not be able say “juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,” he will grow up knowing about his condition and have a supporting community that shares in his diagnosis. We are grateful for all the wonderful doctors, therapists, and the Arthritis Foundation. Our son will know he isn’t alone and that he isn’t “abnormal” because of everyone here. Thank you.
Be there with bells on!
Get in the spirit this holiday season at the Arthritis Foundation’s Jingle Bell Run/Walk for Arthritis®. Be one of the thousands of runners and walkers who hit the nation’s pavements, pathways and parks this winter to fight arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of disability.
Jingle Bell Run/Walk® is a fun and festive way to kick off your holidays by helping others! Wear a holiday themed costume. Tie jingle bells to your shoelaces. Run or walk a 5 kilometer route with your team members and celebrate the season by giving.
