Aimee Busquet
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Adult Honoree

Aimee was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 13. Throughout the years, Aimee has undergone seven joint replacement surgeries and other medical procedures. Her daily regime begins with over six medications. Despite all this, Aimee graduated from Barry University with a bachelor’s degree and later received a master’s degree in English. 

Aimee began volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation in 1999 at Camp Funrise in her native, Miami. Her long history of volunteering includes Chairing the Jingle Bell Run and Walk to Cure Arthritis, speaking at National Conferences and founding the Young Professionals Board for the Arthritis Foundation while living in Georgia. Aimee was chosen as the Arthritis Today magazine’s “Hero” in the July/August 2000 issue. 

Aimee spoke on behalf of the Arthritis Foundation to members of Congress on Capitol Hill in 2009. Due to her staunch work as a health advocate, Aimee was asked to introduce First Lady Michelle Obama when she came to Tampa, to announce her healthy eating initiative. In 2015, Aimee served on the Steering Committee for the National Juvenile Arthritis Conference held in Orlando. She currently serves on the Tampa Bay Arthritis Foundation Leadership Board.

In order to promote her positive attitude on life, Aimee writes for her blog, “Life with Arthur- Living Well with Rheumatoid Arthritis.” She lives with her husband of 34 years, Ed Busquet, and is the Assistant Dean of Humanities and Communication at HCC in Tampa.

She is honored to have been chosen as the 2019 Jingle Bell Run Adult Honoree. Her JBR team is called Jingling for a Porpoise, as she dresses in a dolphin costume each year. With Aimee’s spirit and deep conviction, she keeps fighting and believes that together we will find a cure for Arthritis.

Aubriana Gonzalez
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Youth Honoree

It was August 2018 and our family was at a softball tournament when we noticed our 2 year old, Aubriana began to walk with a limp. There was a playground full of children, and she was determined to play, even though she was in pain and limping. The next day, Aubriana was still limping but had a fun day of swimming. That evening she told us, “my feet hurt.”  We planned a trip to the doctor’s office, she woke up with no limp but there was also no running, playing, and zero energy. Aubriana’s right knee had doubled in size, was hot to touch from inflammation, and she was unable to bear any weight or walk. Still she said, “my feet hurt” although the only sign of her discomfort was in the right knee. We received a diagnosis of toxic synovitis and were instructed that it would clear up on its own with rest and pain medicine. This was an incorrect diagnosis and the beginning of something that will be a lifelong battle for our little girl. It took six weeks for us with multiple trips to the pediatrician, orthopedic, and two ER visits, to hear the words Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

This diagnosis was a very frightening and vulnerable time in our lives. As parents we were overwhelmed with questions and uncertainties. We wondered what her future would look like. Now 10 months into this journey and Aubriana herself has helped to relieve many of those initial uncertainties. She is a happy and overall healthy 3 year old. She is bright, kind, silly, fun spirited and full of ambition. She has an enormous passion for music and is always singing and dancing. One thing is for certain – Aubriana is fierce, she is a fighter, she is #strongerthanjia.

Join Aubriana in her fight against arthritis, register or donate today!