Local Family Plans Fundraiser Sunday for Arthritis Foundation
By Martha Slater

The Pinsonneault family will hold a bottle drive this Sunday Aug. 12, in Randolph to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation.

"We’re starting around noon, and plan on going door to door," explained Mahala Pinsonneault. "We’d be happy to have community members join our team and walk with us next month, too at the Lake Champlain waterfront’s North Beach Park in Burlington Saturday, Sept 8."

Team Ethan is named for Mahaa’s 10 year-old son, Ethan Pinsonneault, who was diagnosed with polyarticular juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at age six. He requires daily medication to help deal with his pain and inflammation, weekly medication, and a monthly IV infusion at Fanny Allen Health Center to stop the disease progression, permanent joint damage, or further loss of function.

"These meds keep him going, and able to play to the best of his ability," Mahala explains. "Before the meds, Ethan was in great pain and unable to walk further than 10 feet without a break. He still has some pain and cannot make a fist with either hand. He goes to physical therapy on a regular basis and does stretches and exercises at home."

The Arthritis Foundation helps the Pinsonneault family and other families throughout Vermont by providing educational materials and exercise classes for people with any form of arthritis. It also funds research and sponsors conferences for families with children suffer from arthritis to support each other, network, and be educated about the disease.

"The most awesome thing, according to Ethan, that they do is give him a scholarship so that he can attend Camp Dartmouth Hitchcock," says Mahala. "Camp D-H is a one week overnight camp in Fairlee, specifically for children and teens with any form of arthritis. Since the disease is rare in children, this has been incredible for him. There he can make friends and not feel alone, and not have to worry about anyone understanding why he may be stiff, sore, limping, or too tired to participate in an activity."

According to the Arthritis Foundation, over 46 million adults and 300,000 children have doctor-diagnosed arthritis. It is the leading cause of disability. Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most debilitating forms of Arthritis, can lead to long term joint damage, loss of function, and disability. The Arthritis Foundation is the primary advocate for public and private services that people with arthritis need.

Registration for the Burlington walk starts at 9 a.m. and the walk starts at 10 a.m. You can go online and make your own team, walk as an individual, or join the Pinsonneault family by clicking on Team Ethan.

"People of all abilities can participate, even if they can only walk 10 feet, since the walk is on the bike path," Mahala says, "so wheelchairs and strollers are okay." For more information, call her at 728-5107.

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