2022 Jingle Bell Run Honorees

 

Matthew Van Zandt
Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Youth Honoree


Matthew VanZandt is 9 years old. He was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and stickler syndrome in March 2016. Due to his diagnosis of stickler syndrome which can cause osteoarthritis younger in life it was much more difficult to determine that he also had arthritis. When Matthew was around the age of 3 his mom and dad became concerned because he would wake during the night and complain of hurting legs and feet. During the day, he would tire easily during family outings saying “my legs are too tired.” During the summer of 2017, there were a couple of times that Matthew struggled to walk and move in the morning for several days at a time. Read More