Local Residents Will Join Hundreds of Arthritis Advocates in Washington, D.C.
Advocates to Ask Congress for More Help for People with Arthritis
[Ames, IA--April 9, 2012] Nikole Andersen, of Nevada, IA, Kristen Delaney of Fort Dodge, IA and Delaney K. from Des Moines, IA will be traveling to Washington, D.C. next week to share their stories of the struggles of living with arthritis, the nation’s leading cause of disability. They will tell Congressman Tom Latham [R-IA-04] and Congressman Leonard Boswell [D-IA-03] that more needs to be done for people with arthritis – more research, more public health initiatives and better access to arthritis treatments.
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“As far as we know, we are the only three from Iowa going to Washington and we feel we must speak up for those who can’t be there to say that ignoring arthritis is unacceptable,” they said.
All three will join nearly 300 other Arthritis Foundation advocates who will gather on Capitol Hill for the annual Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit, taking place from April 16 to April 18.
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People with arthritis have been hit hard by the economic downturn over the last several years and the increasing cost of medications has especially been a tremendous burden. Some 50 million Americans, which is one in five adults, suffer from arthritis in the U.S.
The Advocacy Summit also hosts several children who also suffer from arthritis. “There are 300,000 children who are affected by juvenile arthritis,” says Amy Melnick, vice president of advocacy for the Arthritis Foundation.
Each year the summit brings together about 300 advocates—adults, children and their families, and Arthritis Foundation staff—from nearly all 50 states to urge action for the prevention, control, and cure of arthritis.
About the Arthritis Foundation
Striking one in every five adults, arthritis is a serious, sometimes life-threatening disease and also the nation’s leading cause of disability. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org) is committed to reducing the impact of arthritis, which can severely damage joints and rob people of their ability to live normal lives, including children. The Foundation provides proven programs to help fight arthritis pain, pursues public policy on behalf of patients, and supports groundbreaking research for effective treatments and a cure.
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