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Home 
Arthritis Warrior
Hall of Fame
Take a look at all the past Arthritis Insight Warrior Winners!
Suzee November
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Suzee, your nominator had this to say:
The Arthritis Warrior I would like to nominate is a wonderful, caring
young woman who posts daily on an AOL health message board dedicated to
providing support and information pertaining to Rheumatoid Arthritis and
other autoimmune diseases. I nominate Suzee on behalf of our regular
members who have heartily agreed that Suzee is indeed a dedicated
Arthritis Warrior.
Suzee, the mother of seven children, three of whom have been diagnosed
with Junior Rheumatoid Arthritis, is an incredible asset to our group.
Though she suffers greatly from probable RA and Lupus (her diagnosis has
been difficult for her doctors due to multiple symptoms and unrelenting
pain), she almost never misses an opportunity to bring her wisdom,
kindness and empathy to anyone in need of support.
Regardless of her suffering, her worries about her precious children and
her constant need for medical attention, she is always positive, upbeat
and determined to overcome any and all obstacles that come her way. Her
special brand of wisdom combined with humor has always brought comfort
to the group in general and to the many she Emails and Instant Messages,
sometimes all through the night when she is unable to sleep due to pain
and finds someone else online who needs comforting.
It is with great pleasure that we nominate our own special angel, Suzee
as an Arthritis Warrior, a warrior who fights with spirit and gentle
hugs each and every day to overcome her own medical problems, those of
her children and each and every person who needs her special gift of
caring. We love you and thank you Suzee!
Dawn Holloway August
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Dawn, your
nominator had this to say:
My mom is definitely a Warrior. She has Lupus and Fibromyalgia and has
been suffering with joint pain as well as so many other things for a few
years now. For the last few months, she has been undergoing chemotherapy
for lupus nephritis, which is when the disease attacks the kidneys.
She's been in terrible pain for the last few years, but has not stopped
being a truly wonderful, very supportive and happy mom. She's a single,
working mom who has always had so much energy. Even though her pain
keeps her from doing all the things she normally does, she finds a way
around it or over it. She's had to quit some activities, but hasn't
stopped her volunteer work. Even if she can't do some physical things,
she's always ready to help out doing what she can. When her joint pain
gets to be too much, she just smiles and says, "How about a board
game? Want to try to beat me at Clue?" It's hard to watch her &
the worry is real hard, too. But she's always giving me hugs and telling
me that things are okay and she's living the life God meant her to live.
It doesn't get her down even though she's unable to do the things we
used to do together. She works really hard at her job, too. Even though
most people would stay home and feel bad for themselves, my mom just
keeps going with a smile on her face. She says, "I'm not going to
let this thing beat me. It can make me look horrible, feel horrible,
make changes in my lifestyle, but it can't make me lose myself. I won't
be beat by this." I think she is so brave. She's only 33 and has
her whole life ahead of her. She tells me she's determined to do what
she can do with a smile always. "No sense wasting my time on frowns
- I've got things to do!" I'd like to see my mom win this honor
'cause she's so brave and funny and I couldn't ask for a better mom in
all the world.
Steve Ratliff July
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Steve, your nominator had this
to say:
Two years ago, Steve was told by his rheumatologist that he has to get
out of his present line of work because it is aggravating the joint
damage caused by psoriatic arthritis. Instead of quitting work and going
on disability, with the help of Rehab, Steve went back to school to
train for a new career. Not only did he continue to work full time at
the same time as he was going to school full time, he has so far made
the president's list every quarter but one, when he made the dean's
list. He has also constantly helped his fellow students when they were
having trouble with the classwork so that they could achieve higher
grades as well. Steve graduates at the end of this quarter. I believe
that he has more than earned the distinction of being named an Arthritis
Warrior.
Amanda aka Giggles
April
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Amanda, your nominator had this to say:
No matter what Giggles has thrown at her she gets through it with
fortitude and strength. She always has a smile or a cheery word even
when she is not doing to well herself. She is an inspiration to others
with arthritis.
And another nominator
said:
It's an honor to know and to nominate Giggles for the Arthritis Warrior
Award. Giggles is one of our Aussie friends. Giggles is my inspiration
on a daily basis. When I think I'm having a bad day, I think of Gigs,
and my troubles go away.
She has battled for her life and well being since childhood. She has
multiple health challenges from her childhood onset seropositive RA and
seropositive SLE.
Giggles is a wonderful
example of 'know thy enemy'. There are few people on this site
who have educated themselves so completely about the facts of their
problems.
In addition to this, Gigs
sports numerous college degrees that 'Earthpeople' with no
health challenges would be proud to earn.
When Gigs and her 'G'day
Jellybeans' comes in to the chat room, I know we are going to learn
something. It may be a very accurate description of an aspect of
rheumatoid disease, or it may be a shining example of how one can deal
with difficult situations, diagnoses, or surgeries in a positive and
forthright manner. With her bright outlook and delightful intelligence
Giggles embodies the best characteristics of an Arthritis Warrior.
Larry R.
-MARCH
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Larry, your nominator had this to say:
I nominate Larry for his commitment of not letting his illness ruin his
quality of life. He has helped so many people when they were in need. He
gives support to those who are in need. He remains undaunted in his
beliefs which is quite a virtue in this day and age when so many are
swayed by what is popular at the moment. His' posts often give people
food for thought about the other issues in life when we have let
ourselves become consumed by our illnesses. It often gives us a wake up
call. He also provides humorous posts to help us see the lighter side of
things. He also has checked from time to time to see how those of us who
ASA has not heard from awhile are doing. Believe me when you are down
and out of the blue you see a post with your name on it asking about
where and what you are doing, it lifts your spirit considerable. Such a
simple act does so much. I'm sure there is so much more to this man that
I don't know but I do know one thing he deserves this recognition and
our thanks.
and
I met Larry on line in the arthritis chat forum. I needed encouragement at that time to smile about the fact I was diagnosed with lupus, and having a rough time of it.
Larry always seemed to have a response to my questions as well as a "good" joke to help me through the day.
He has had a lot on his "plate and shoulders" lately with trying to get that leg ulcer healed, and joked the whole time. Tried all kinds of shall I say remedies but it is slow coming, but the guy never complained about it ever. If he did maybe to wife.LOL
But this man made me smile when I was down, made me laugh just to go to the site and see his name on a joke post. Remembered my birthday with an email card one time.
Now he has again sadness in his life with the dear friend of his. One that was a Good American like Larry himself is, and since this is a rough time for all of us, A Good American needs to be given an award.
He needs this just for that reason and because he swore he would NOT wait to see a Doctor again IF one of those Spells like he had, happens. A promise is a promise, and It take one heck of a person to bounce back like he did.
I just think, even though I really don't know this man, I think he deserves a little kindness. A warrior, you bet he is, in more ways than one. A fighter is what I called him, but now Warrior is a good label...
thanks Larry for you kindness to me, even if you do not remember it...
Ruth Arnold February
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Ruth, your nominator had this to say:
Ruth, who has had RA from a very early age, does not let her RA get the
better of her. Over the years Ruth has tried many of the current dmards
available here in the UK, but as her RA progressed she like many other
began to wonder &quoT;what's next?&quoT;
After research, it became clear the answer was the new anti-TNFs. Due to
our health system here in the UK, even though these drugs had passed
clinical trial here they are not widely available on our National Health
Service (NHS). They have to assessed by a part of the NHS called NICE
(The National Institute for Clinical Excellence). NICE are still to
decide on anti-TNFs at this time (January 2002) and there was nothing to
stop individuals contacting them privately on the issue.
However, despite being very busy herself, Ruth published a Website http://www.nicecampaign.org.uk/
and encouraged all in the UK who wanted to have access to anti-TNFs to
contribute. Furthermore, she encouraged people from other parts of the
world (mainly the USA) who already had the anti-TNFs to comment on how
much they improved things. She then sent all the responses to NICE for
consideration and informed the national press she had done so.
For this sterling effort for everyone with Arthritis in the UK, I would
like to nominate Ruth Arnold as Arthritis Insight Warrior of the Month.
and another nominator
said:
Ruth has been the driving
force behind the campaign to get NICE to approve the anti-TNFs for use
in the NHS. Anecdotal evidence suggests that they have already decided
not to allow then, but the decision is not due until the end of March I
think. Whatever the result, Ruth really deserves to have her hard work
acknowledged. I can't think of an honour more prestigious than being
named Arthritis Warrior.
Gary January
2002 Arthritis Warrior
Gary, your nominator had this to say:
Well, here is a guy who has really
made some major changes in his life to make a stand to fight for
remission. He has given up things that are impossible for most, that
would be cigs! and just to see such discipline in diet and exercise on
a consistent basis is really encouraging. He also has taken much time to
create sites with information that is helpful to other's. He has also
gone back to school and once again has been following through on that as
well. He is dedicated to improving himself in spite of this disease,
that I find to be note worthy and he keeps things on a positive note,
which is crucial to feeing well physically. To watch someone go through
this transformation is well like wild fire, it is great to see a
positive light in the room as so many other's that come to the arthritis
chat. I would love to nominate several but there is next month too! So,
I think it would be nice to see Gary receive the warrior for the month,
for such a positive change.
Dana Butcher- October 2001
Arthritis Warrior
Dana, your nominator had this to say:
My daughter Dana has had jra since she was 12. She is now 30. She
suffers daily with the pain of it and says she can not remember a day
with out pain. She is a wife, mother of 2 boys 7 and 9 months. Her first
child was still born 9 years ago. Just another obstacle for her to
climb. through it all she smiles daily keeps a full house and takes care
of her family with out a complaint. Her hands and feet are affected so
bad they are hard to use. But through it all she smiles. If people are
down they look towards Dana to cheer them up. She is a great Person
who's favorite saying is 'Don't sweat the small stuff' I am
very proud of her and all she accomplishes.
and
Once again I talk about my
daughter Dana. who has had JRA since she was 12. Now 30 and the mother
of 2 boys 7 and 10 months. She amazes us her family on all she does and
handles the pain. Her hands are in very bad shape as are her feet. but
she plugs along with a smile. She deals with her baby Prestin needs he
has very poor muscle tone and still smiles. Everyone that comes in
contact with her is so surprised at how well she handles daily living.
She has been my warrior for a long time her favoorite saying is
"Don't sweat the small stuff".
Carol DelCorso aka Del-September 2001
Arthritis Warrior
Carol, your nominators had this to say:
Ever since I have been posting Carol has always been there, not just for
me, but for others too, to offer support, help and suggestions. I've
never met her, or even chatted in the chatroom, but I feel she is a real
friend.
and:
Carol has really helped Arthritis Insight to become a family. She is
always there for anyone who needs her. Never hesitating to give out her
email address to someone who needs to 'talk'. Her posts on the
message boards and her comments in the chatroom are full of compassion
and support, despite her own medical problems. Thanks Carol! You ARE a
warrior!
and:
Carol is a wonderful person who,
has like all of us has a terrible disease. But she is always there to
lend an ear and try to help anyone out of a hard time, or at the very
least give them encouragment to keep going through the hard times. She
teach's first grade despite the fact that it may hurt and it is hard to
get moving every morning. She is a great friend to all of us here at AI.
And she is always there for anyone who may need her! She is a warrior in
my opinion even if she didn't have RA, because she will fight to the end
for any cause she believes in! I don't know what I'd do with-out her as
my true friend! Cheryl Diaz aka Prizm
Aaron Nelson-AUGUST 2001
Arthritis Warrior
Aaron, your nominator had this to say:
Aaron has been through multiple
joint replacements from a very young age in his battle with JRA. Now a
young adult, he is still facing joint replacements plus all the other
manifestations of this disease. He, like most young people, has had to
face many disappointments, like having to sell a much loved car because
it has no power steering and it is too expensive to put power steering
in that vehicle. Aaron, though saddened by this, just says 'oh well
- I'll buy a car with power steering when I sell the Mustang';. His
attitude is always upbeat. Aaron also hosts the JRA Chat Room here at
Arthritis Insight. His knowledge of JRA is impressive. He is an
inspiration to others with JRA, their parents and their friends. As we
all know - having arthritis hit us as an adult is tough but having this
disease as a child is devastating. To have faced this and give help and
assistance to others shows what a TRUE WARRIOR Aaron is. Even if he
isn't selected 'Arthritis Warrior' he will be a Warrior to me
and many others. It is so comforting to know there are Aaron's in this
world and I am privileged to know one.
Battle on Aaron.
Sue aka Swimmer-JULY 2001
Arthritis Warrior
Sue, your nominator had this to say:
Did you ever feel lucky just to know someone? That's how I feel about
Sue.
She is truly the most positive person I know. When she is in pain there
is always a smile on her face, a kind word for anyone, and she's willing
to help where ever she can.
Now I'm not saying she's pollyanna either. When Sue doesn't want
help...wild horses couldn't get her to take it.
If there is truly a description of an Arthritis Warrior here it is...Sue
had ankle fusion surgery on a Wednesday morning...she called me that
afternoon to tell me that she was ok...listened to me talk about my
infertility woes...and comforted me.
I'm hoping that someday I can be as strong a person as she is!!! She is
Arthritis Warrior Material!!!
And another nominator said
this about Sue:
I can think of quite a few people who are arthritis warriors, but only a
couple who always come to mind when I think of people who have
persevered for many years with arthritis and still have a sunny outlook
on life. I wanted to nominate someone because there are so many people
here who I admire and respect. I couldn't let a chance to honor someone.
I don't know Sue as well as some of the other AI members know her, but
from chatting with her, reading her postings and spending time with her
at the gimpfests, it's obvious that she rises above the limitations of
RA. Anyone who can suffer with RA for 20 some years and still have a
positive attitude is an arthritis warrior! Sue always has a smile and
words of encouragement for everyone. I admire her for keeping up with 2
little ones and for her positive attitude that RA is really not that
bad. And what amazes me is that she doesn't seem to have to remind
herself that having RA isn't the end of your life...I still have to
remind myself and think of people who are worse off in order to keep my
spirits up. I think that's the difference between someone being a true
warrior and someone who's still trying to decide which battle to fight.
Sue fights the real battle...to not let the RA get her down emotionally.
I fight everything! LOL
Sue deserves to be named an Arthritis Insight Warrior!
Tina aka KJ -JUNE 2001
Arthritis Warrior
Tina, your nominator had this to
say:
She's wonder woman! She never stops going regardless of what's going on
with her health. And she does an amazing job working to keep this
wonderful Arthritis Insight website up and running.
And another nominator
said:
Krissy is amazing. Anyone who has been a part of AI for longer than 10
minutes, knows that. Krissy's RA has not yet responded to treatment in
any meaningful way. Yet like the Energizer Bunny, she keeps going and
going and going. She has brought hope to many many people, who had none.
She brought knowledge about their disease process to many, who hadn't a
clue. She brought comfort to all of these same people. The job she does
here at AI is an example to anyone suffering with a chronic condition,
but especially to someone with arthritis in one of its many forms. As
far as I am concerned, Krissy is one of original Arthritis Warriors.
And one more said:
Most people on-line know her as KrissyJo, I only know this wonderful
person as Tina. Tina has been a part of my life for many years. She
gives so much not only to the wonderful people of this site, but she is
the same with her family and friends. She is always there to help and to
inspire the people around her. I am in constant awe of her determination
and her strength. I am very blessed to have this strong woman in not
only my life but my daughters' lives. She is one of the greatest
inspirations of my life. And this from a person who is her
ex-sister-in-law. I think that should show what a true warrior
is.....having an ex-sister-in-law be inspired by you. ;)
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