West Newsmagazine 11-15-17

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By JESSICA MESZAROS
The nation’s longest-standing holidaythemed
race is returning to St. Louis this
year and, as always, it’s for a good
cause.
The 2017 Jingle Bell Run takes
place Nov. 19 at Hollywood
Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive
in Maryland Heights.
The race has been a St. Louis
Goldstein
tradition for 25 years according to
Cheri Fitts, Arthritis Foundation Midwest
Region executive director.
“It continues to grow as our mission
grows and our need for funding continues
to grow,” Fitts said. “Just last year, we
were using the statistic that 1 in 5 Americans
was affected by arthritis, and we were
just notified this summer that it’s now over
1 in 4.”
For some participants, the race is a timehonored
tradition that serves as a testament
to coping with and overcoming the
challenges that accompany many forms of
arthritis. One of those honorees is Parkway
Central High senior Emily Goldstein, who
has been participating in Arthritis Foundation
walks since she was about 4 years old.
As a child, she was an honoree at the Walk
to Cure Arthritis annual 5K event.
Goldstein was first diagnosed with
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age three
when she had trouble getting out of bed
one morning and saw her knee had swelled
to the size of a grapefruit.
“What I have is an autoimmune disease, so
when I was 3 years old, my immune system
attacked itself and the healthy tissues,”
Goldstein said. “Someone with osteoarthritis
doesn’t have the same issues because it’s
not affecting their immune health.”
The arthritis that started in her left knee
gradually spread to Goldstein’s ankles,
wrists, fingers, elbows, toes and jaw. Goldstein
also was diagnosed with Crohn’s
disease at age 14, which impacted her
treatment.
“Once they figured out that diagnosis,
it was a lot easier to control my diseases
knowing that was also happening to my
body,” Goldstein said. “I have it much less
severe than some others, but when you
have an autoimmune disease, it flares up,
and that does affect me in my everyday life
and especially in my athletics.”
Goldstein maintains her athletic status by
running cross country at the varsity level
and as a distance runner in track and field.
Her support team, known as Emily’s
Entourage, has been attending the Arthritis
Association’s runs and walks since her
original diagnosis. This year, the team has
raised about $1,250 with 26 members.
After graduating high school, Goldstein
plans to pursue a degree in nursing.
“It’s amazing what doctors have been
able to do for me,” Goldstein said. “It’s
more than just giving back. I want to provide
that same help to others because I
understand how others feel in that
hospital setting – scared and alone. I
want them to know they aren’t alone.
According to the Arthritis Foundation,
the term arthritis can refer to
more than 100 types of joint diseases
that affect more than 50 million
adults and 300,000 children.
“Everybody thinks of arthritis as an older
person’s disease, but it’s not,” Emily’s
mom Melanie, said. “People don’t realize
that kids get arthritis, too, and it’s not
the same arthritis that older individuals
get. They need to understand. That’s why
they have three different honorees at the
run. They have an adult, a young kid and a
teenager because rheumatoid arthritis can
affect anyone on the spectrum.”
The Jingle Bell Run is a U.S. Track and
Field-certified race. Entry fees start at $20
for kids and $35 for adults. To register,
visit jbr.org or call (314) 447-4881.
November 15, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
I SCHOOLS I 15
Local student chosen as honoree for annual Arthritis Foundation run
MARTA’S
The 2016 Jingle Bell Run
[Photo courtesy of the Arthritis Foundation]
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