Hazel Wolfgramm
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Youth Honoree

Hazel is an active 12-year-old girl living with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. When she was 2 years old, she bumped her knee while
jumping off a couch which caused an injury that triggered her arthritis. Coming to that diagnosis was no easy feat though. 
About 5 months had passed with all the testing, scheduling available appointments and waiting for insurance referrals and authorizations. Ultimately, they left the Orthopedists office in tears where yet again they had no answers.

Frustrated with all the waiting, they left his office and went straight to the Pediatric Emergency Room at Loma Linda University Medical Center hoping to get some answers. It was there that with a simple
blood draw they were informed that she had tested positive for JRA. Hazel’s parents were so relieved to finally have answers and started treatment at the Rheumatology Clinic in Loma Linda. Hazel was put on Enbrel and saw immediate results. With the medication and some physical therapy, she was not seeing any more symptoms. After two years on Enbrel, the Rheumatology team decided to wean her off it and she has been symptom free ever since.

Today Hazel enjoys, biking, swimming, horseback riding, running and other sports that active kids her age engage in. She’s a testament that with proper care and treatment, it’s possible to live a typical life of a kid or preteen. The Arthritis Foundation has provided fun activities and opportunities to interact with other families affected by Arthritis. She has learned that each case is individual. Some have it more severe than others and Hazel feels blessed to be unaffected at this time. She knows how important it is to bring awareness to this disease. 

 Join or donate to Hazel's team "Hazel's Honnies"

Dave Van Winkle
Corporate Chair

Dave is a California native. He attended Northwestern University in Chicago where he was a student athlete playing baseball. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox and spent 3 years playing in the minor leagues for both the White Sox and Angels organizations. After baseball, he started working in the food industry as a Sales Rep and finds himself still working in the food industry today with Monster Energy.

Dave’s youngest daughter of three, Audrey, was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis in 2014, at the age of 9. In 2015, Audrey was the Youth Honoree for the Jingle Bell Run. It was through this experience that the Van Winkle Family learned of the important & necessary work the Arthritis Foundation has been doing in the communities they serve & how much more is needed to help the AF expand their reach & resources to improve people’s lives, discover new treatments, & delivery a cure “yesterday”! The Van Winkle’s have been actively involved in the JBR rallying around Audrey’s Angels every year since 2015 & are back this year to help set OCIE on a course to be the BIGGEST Jingle Bell Run in the US by 2020.

Jim Lukowski
Corporate Chair

Jim is a native New Englander. He is a rabid New England sports fan with an affinity for football & baseball. Jim’s passion for sports & interscholastic competition brought him back to his Connecticut roots.  Jim attended Wesleyan University in Middletown. He was fortunate enough to play 4 years of football & baseball.

Jim is married to Melissa & have 2 beautiful children; Dariusz age 13 and Anneke age 9. Both are passionate baseball & softball players respectively. “It was through an innocent work conversation with Dave, friend & co-worker, that I suspected Dariusz might also be afflicted with AS. Dave immediately contacted colleagues at the Arthritis Foundation who went to work on our behalf. They set us up with Pediatric Rheumatologist, Dr. Andrew Shulman.  Within 30 days, our son Dariusz was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis. Dariusz is extremely active & currently pain free. This relationship has been a true blessing & his treatment plan is working.”