Marina Orocio
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis
Adult Honoree

Few people are more committed to the Arthritis Foundation than Marina Orocio, and nobody deserves to be our Adult Honoree more than she does. Marina, who lives in Augusta, KS, was originally diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 14. She’s now 23, and she’s been involved with the Arthritis Foundation ever since – as a member of the Jingle Bell Run Committee, as a camper and a counselor at Camp Joint Adventures, as the featured speaker at JA Days and a national JA conference, and more. Most recently, Marina spent a week at the Mayo Clinic and learned that her RA is extremely aggressive and doesn’t respond well to medication, meaning she’ll continue to look for relief through her arduous, painful arthritis journey. “The hardest thing for me is seeing friends and peers my age live out a normal, pain-free life,” she says. “Arthritis is real, arthritis is painful, and we need a cure!”

DIA
Osteoarthritis
Canine Honoree

Dia, pictured above with owner Marina, has had arthritis in her neck and hips for about two years. A rescue pit mix, Dia is 10 years old who fights her arthritis with daily joint supplements and an orthopedic bed. And though she typically can’t walk much more than a mile without getting sore, she still gets the zoomies at least once a day, and she loves playing with other dog friends!

Support Marina and Dia on their team fundraising page.

Charlie Griffith
Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Child Honoree

Charlie Griffith was 2 years old when she spiked 105-degree fevers, developed a rash on her face, and simply didn’t want to play or move. “The hardest part is the fear of the unknown,” says Charlie’s mom, Morgan. Eventually, Charlie was diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and began a regiment of doctor’s visits and medications. Charlie is now 4, has gone through medication failure, is severely restricted physically during major flares, but is finally seeing progress with her treatment. “The Arthritis Foundation funds vital research efforts to find better medications and, hopefully, a cure,” Morgan says." The Foundation has helped us build connections so we do not feel alone in this journey.” Support Charlie and her team on her team fundraising page.