Dr. Timothy Melvin
Marshall University
​Corporate Chair

Dr. Timothy Melvin is both the Assessment Coordinator for Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, and the Co-Director of the President’s Commission on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. He received a doctoral degree in Higher Education Leadership from Argosy University and both a master’s degree in Adult and Technical Education and a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Marshall University. Dr. Melvin is actively pursuing a second master’s degree in Measurement, Evaluation, Statistics, and Assessment from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Melvin is pleased to serve as the Medical Honoree for the Arthritis Foundation Walk to Cure Arthritis event.

Dr. Mathew Samuel
Medical Honoree

Dr. Samuel is a Rheumatologist at the Tri-State Arthritis Center in Ashland, KY and recently started his practice at HIMG in Huntington, WV in November 2018. He attended and graduated from medical school in 1974, having over 45 years of diverse experience, specializing in Rheumatology.

Caleb Halstead
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
​Youth Honoree

The Arthritis Foundation celebrates Caleb Halstead as the 2019 Walk to Cure Arthritis Youth Honoree. Caleb is the 9 year old son of Deborah Halstead of Cabin Creek, WV. He lives with a form of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) known as enthesitis-related arthritis. It includes swelling and pain where tendons and ligaments attach to the bone. Caleb is believed to have the earliest onset ever documented at a year old. With no prognosis his family was told he would be treated aggressively in hopes of reaching remission. “Caleb’s strength is his heart of gold, his smile, and his will to overcome any obstacle. He is the strongest person I’ve ever met. Most people wait their whole lives to meet their Hero, but I am blessed with having the privilege to raise my HERO,” says Deborah.

During the Walk to Cure Arthritis event Caleb and Deborah would like to raise awareness and help educate others on how juvenile arthritis effects children on a daily basis. They hope to bring awareness to the school systems about the struggles due to absences from complications of treatment. Ultimately, they want to raise money for research to help find a cure for this debilitating disease. They want to inspire others fighting arthritis, encourage them not to give up, and let them know they are not alone!