MINNEAPOLIS — This weekend hundreds of people will gather at U.S. Bank stadium. Not for a football game but for a special cause; The Arthritis Foundation's annual Jingle Bell Run. It raises both money and awareness. Did you know kids can get Arthritis too? This year’s young adult honoree for the race is telling her story to help spread the message.
“I was actually diagnosed in 1998 when I was three years old,” Amber Cress was too little to remember the diagnosis of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, but she remembers growing up often in pain. JRA is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body causing inflammation.
“It's been up and down my whole life. Almost every year I have some sort of flareup, but luckily I've been going a couple weeks without one so, I'm doing pretty well right now,” says Amber.
Now, she's all grown up, and telling her story, to show the nearly 300,000 kids and teens who live with Arthritis in the United States that it doesn't have to stop you.
“I have played tennis my whole life, I played baseball, softball, I usually play more casually than competitively," she says.
“I never really felt like I missed out on anything. I maybe just took a little bit of a different path, but I've had an amazing life and I can't complain,” she adds.
Amber hasn't always been so forthcoming with her story. She felt like having a non-apparent disability made people judge her.
“There are so many people in my life who have that same reaction of, “Oh I didn't know kids could get arthritis,” and then I kind of share my story, and they understand, and they walk away from that being a more understanding person, more open minded, less judgmental and that makes it worth it,” says Amber.
She also wants people to know there is help and support. The Arthritis Foundation funds research for new treatments and maybe one day a cure. They also provide support to those living with the disease and their families.
This year Amber will be front and center sharing all of that as the Young Adult honoree at the Jingle Bell Run.
“I'm a huge Vikings fan and I love the holiday season, so this is just the combination of all my favorite things,” she says.
The Jingle Bell Run is Saturday, December 9th at U.S. Bank Stadium. Dress up in your Christmas best and join Reggie Wilson and Rena Sarigianopoulos as they kick off the race and hand out medals at the end.
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