Arthritis Foundation 2023

Journey Together

CONQUERING ARTHRITIS, IMPROVING LIVES

Thanks to Champions like Ian Hochstetler and Evette Holloway, the Arthritis Foundation is making progress against this disease and lifting up those who live with it.

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What You Don’t Know About Arthritis

There’s More to Arthritis Than You Might Think

If you’re like most people, you think of arthritis as an inevitable part of aging — something your grandparents have. But arthritis can strike at any age — even infants. It is painful and keeps people from doing what they love. And if it’s not caught early and treated effectively, it can be disabling and even life-threatening. In fact, arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and there is not yet a cure.

The Arthritis Foundation is working to conquer arthritis and provides support and resources for the nearly 60 million adults and 300,000 children in the U.S. with this complex disease. Read on to meet Ian Hochstetler, who was diagnosed at age 12, and Silver Spoon Awards party volunteer Evette Holloway. Learn how the Arthritis Foundation is fighting the disease and discover our resources to help people live well despite arthritis.

FACTS:

58+ MILLION Americans with arthritis

300,000 children in the U.S. with arthritis

1.3 MILLION

Northeast Ohioans have arthritis — enough to fill First Energy Stadium more than 19 times

12,000 children in Northeast Ohio live with arthritis

Celebrate the Silver Spoon Awards Party

Toast the tastes of Cleveland and support the Arthritis Foundation.

Local foodies look forward to it every year. The Silver Spoon Awards party celebrates the best of Cleveland’s chefs and restaurants with a delicious and festive evening — all for a great cause: the Arthritis Foundation’s work to conquer arthritis and support those who live with it. Now in its 27th year, Silver Spoon has raised over $2.5 million for the fight against arthritis.

Evette Holloway has been working behind the scenes for six years at Silver Spoon, which usually sells out. She got involved because of her love of food, but when she saw that it benefits the Arthritis Foundation, she was hooked because it struck close to home. “I wanted to do something that was near and dear to my heart,” she says.

Holloway’s mother, a nurse for 34 years, has arthritis in both hands that’s so painful that she and her husband left their Cleveland home to winter in Arizona. It is now their permanent residence. And Holloway’s cousin, now in his late 30s, was diagnosed in his early 20s with psoriatic arthritis, which has left his hands and feet disfigured.

Holloway started as a volunteer, then became a planning committee member. Now, she’s also on the Arthritis

Foundation’s local board of directors, committed to bringing support and resources to the 1.3 million people — including 12,000 children — living with arthritis in Northeast Ohio.

The Silver Spoon Awards party celebrates Northeast Ohio’s best restaurants. Finalists are those who receive top votes in Cleveland Magazine’s poll.

“All the restaurants get really excited,” Holloway says. They showcase their best dishes, and people attending can sample from each of the participating restaurants as well as from international wineries participating.

“The Silver Spoon event is a tradition. It’s a way to broaden your palate, meet new people and bring awareness to the Arthritis Foundation,” Holloway adds. “The ultimate goal is to bring awareness to arthritis, bring in as many people as we can to be part of such a wonderful event and highlight the Arthritis Foundation and what we stand for to bring a cure for people who are suffering.”

Learn more about volunteer opportunities with the Arthritis Foundation by visiting arthritis.org/volunteer, or contact your local office at arthritis.org/localoffices/oh­cleveland.

Ian Hochstetler: An Arthritis Champion

Juvenile arthritis is a family affair for the Hochstetlers — and so is giving back.

Ian Hochstetler hated swimming when he was little, instead, throwing himself into soccer while his sister excelled on the swim team. Now a high school senior, Hochstetler is co-captain of his swim team, which he helped lead to the district championships. But the journey to get there wasn’t easy.

Diagnosed at age 12 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), he was unable to walk at one point, and he spent his freshman year in a full torso brace to correct his curving spine.

Double Diagnosis

When his ankles and knees started hurting, he blamed soccer. “I just figured it was something that everyone went through,” he recalls. “Then one day it just flared up really bad.”

His mother, Ella Hochstetler, clearly remembers that day. “He literally was crawling on his hands — because he couldn’t put any pressure on his knees and ankles — into our bedroom, just crying that he couldn’t walk. It was really scary,” she recalls. They never suspected arthritis. “We had no idea that this was something that could even happen to kids.”

Around the same time, his spine started curving. Giving up soccer was bad enough, but now he was starting high school with arthritis and the brace for scoliosis. He always wore sweatshirts to hide it.

“It was really bulky and plastic and it made me feel different from everyone,” he says. “Going into freshman year, I just stayed quiet. I always asked to be [seated] in the back corner of the class. I didn’t like people sitting behind me because I didn’t want them knowing about the brace.”

“It’s very difficult to watch your child struggle, be in pain and not be able to take it away,” his mother says. “Also, it was extremely hard because we knew this was very likely to be a lifetime thing he was going to deal with.”

Hochstetler quickly got care at Akron Children’s Hospital with help from a nurse practitioner who took the family under her wing. After trying several medications, he found a biologic that has his JIA well controlled.

Soccer wasn’t an option, so he reluctantly joined the swim team, knowing it would help his arthritis. With support from his older sister, Haley, he was welcomed onto the team and excelled.

Getting Support and Giving Back

The nurse practitioner introduced them to the Arthritis Foundation, which “was great in pointing us to resources and getting us involved in a community that was supportive,” says his mother.

They started volunteering with the Jingle Bell Run, and Hochstetler attended JA camp.

“It was probably the nicest group of people I’ve ever met. They were extremely supportive and accommodating. There wasn’t a single kid there my age who felt bad for themselves or wanted to sit out because they couldn’t do it,” he says. “It was definitely a life-changing experience for me.”

The Hochstetlers continue participating in Jingle Bell Run; Hochstetler was the honoree in 2018 and a spokesperson in 2022. His mother and father, Derrick, serve on the Foundation’s local leadership board. Hochstetler is helping other kids with JA, and he plans to continue Jingle Bell Run and mentoring when he’s in college.

“At the time I got diagnosed with scoliosis, it seemed like that on top of the arthritis diagnosis, I kept thinking, ‘Why me?’” Hochstetler recalls. Now, he says, “This is why I was picked, because I want to be able to help other people with [JA] now. Not many people know about this disease, so I think it’s really important to spread awareness.”

YOU ARE HELPING IN THE FIGHT

The Arthritis Foundation is proud to partner again with Cleveland Magazine and support the Silver Spoon Awards party. Since 1996, it has raised over $2.5 million, fueling our ability to serve people with arthritis in Northeast Ohio and throughout the country through life-changing science, resources, advocacy and community connections.

• We increased our efforts to conquer osteoarthritis (OA), which affects more than 30 million people in the country and has no cure. Our OA program brings together leading researchers and is launching a firstof-its-kind multicenter clinical trial that will help lead to a better understanding of OA and potential treatments.

• We hosted a symposium with Hospital for Special Surgery on hip OA, and a meeting of OA thought leaders and the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate OA drug development.

• In recent months, we awarded $1.1 million to researchers focusing on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who aren’t getting relief from existing therapies.

CHAMPIONS OF YES

We’re

As Champions of Yes, we’re turning obstacles that arthritis creates into opportunities to say, “Yes.” We put the needs of people with arthritis front and center of everything we do, from creating resources that help them live well despite arthritis to ensuring their voices are heard in matters that affect their health and well-being. Learn about these and more by visiting arthritis.org/pain or by scanning the QR code:

• We are committed to improving health care access for everyone and have earmarked $750,000 to increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in rheumatology.

• We fund research in pediatric rheumatic diseases through our partner, Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA).

• Our state and federal advocacy efforts continue to score wins, fueled by our army of volunteer advocates throughout the country. They include over 5,800 Advocates and nearly 100 Ambassadors in Ohio.

• Thanks to our Ohio Advocates, patients there are no longer required to “fail” multiple medications before gaining access to a medication they know works for them.

• Ohio legislators passed a bill reforming the prior authorization process insurance companies require for specialty medications. This reduces the burden and delay in patients receiving needed medications.

• Congress capped Medicare out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, making them more affordable to more people.

• Congress funded a program we back that will help more physicians specialize in pediatric rheumatology.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS AT ARTHRITIS.ORG

• Learn about the 100-plus types of arthritis and ways to manage them, and find out how the Arthritis Foundation is fighting for people living with arthritis.

• Call our Helpline at 800-283-7800 or submit a request. A licensed, clinical social worker and trained staff — including a Spanish-speaking expert — can answer your questions about arthritis, medications, insurance and other arthritis-related information.

• Live Yes! Connect Groups put people with arthritis directly in touch with each other to share support, information and experiences. Virtual groups, available nationally, include those for people with different types of arthritis, newly diagnosed people, young adults, parents of kids with JA, veterans, family planning and more. In-person groups are available locally, including in Medina and Mahoning Valley, Ohio.

• Webinars feature experts and patients discussing a variety of topics, ranging from insurance to exercise to mental health to medications. Watch past webinars and sign up for upcoming ones.

• Live Yes! With Arthritis Podcast — by patients for patients — features experts

and patients discussing everything from dating and diversity to exercise and disease management. Tune in through your favorite podcast app.

• Our e-books provide tips and information on a range of topics, from footwear and holiday preparations to pain management and resilience.

• Staying physically active is essential to manage pain and improve function with arthritis. Your Exercise Solution helps you create your own workout routine for your specific needs and modifications.

• Our Walk With Ease program will get you started in a routine proven to help people with arthritis improve their pain and function.

• Take part in clinical research to help improve the lives of people living with arthritis — maybe even yourself.

• Connect with us on social networks:

turning No into Yes for people living with arthritis through support, solutions and resources.