Essex County Woman To Battle Fat-Based Disease With ‘AquaRun’ Fundraiser

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Do you want to help this Essex County woman fight a chronic, fat-based disease that steals mobility, deforms the body and damages the lymphatic system?

On April 22, local nonprofit The Lipedema Queen Organization - founded by East Orange resident Katia Page – will host its inaugural “AquaRun 1K Charity Marathon” fundraiser from 2 to 5 p.m. at the New York Sports Club, 39 W. Northfield Rd., Livingston.

The fundraiser will help raise awareness about Lipedema and to help local women to purchase the compression garments and supplements they need to battle the disease, Page told Patch.

Learn more about the event, make a donation or register to participate here.

“We are doing this AquaRun to show even though we’re fighting a disease that steals our mobility, deforms our bodies and damages our lymphatic systems, we can still keep fighting and living life no matter what,” Page said.

She told Patch she hopes the event will help to break down the stereotype that “if you’re big you can't do athletics.”

Page – whose continuing struggle with Lipedema can be seen in the below articles - said that she personally thinks water athletics are a great way to help her avoid losing muscle mass while she fights the disease.

• See related article: Her Legs Won’t Stop Growing: Bride-To-Be Battles Lipedema
• See related article: The Lipedema Queen Speaks

According to CureLipedema.org, the often-misunderstood condition occurs almost exclusively in women and causes swelling of the legs and hips due to accumulations of fat and fluid in the tissues under the skin.

“How often have you seen a woman who appears to be a size 8 or 10 from the waist up and a size 18 or more from the waist down with unusually large, column-like legs?” the organization’s website asks. “Women who have this body profile more often than not are exhibiting classic early stage lipedema. As lipedema progresses, fat will increase in the lower body. Unfortunately, lipedema patients tend to gain weight in the lipedemic areas, and can only lose it in the non-lipedemic areas. Even bariatric surgery will only result in fat loss primarily from the waist up. Lipedemic fat cannot be exercised or even starved away.”

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Photo: James Harrison/Barcroft Productions