Sofia Latos
Oligoarticular Juvenile
Idiopathic Arthritis
Youth Honoree
 Sofia came into the world in April 2016 as a force of nature but one morning, when she refused to get out of bed and would not walk or bear any weight on her legs, it was alarming. A few months before Sofia’s third birthday it was confirmed she had oligoarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). A visit to the ophthalmologist confirmed that in addition to her JIA she had uveitis, another inflammatory disease that is often associated with JIA. Today, Sofia does monthly infusions and weekly methotrexate shots. In addition, she takes daily eye drops to help with some of the aftermath of the steroid drops used to keep her vision stable. Sofia is the bravest, kindest, and smartest kid and still naturally curious and a leader in her own right. Read More
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Dr. Harvinder S. Sandhu is Co-Chief Emeritus of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Spine and is an Attending Surgeon at HSS specializing in minimally invasive spine surgery, robotic surgery, and the use of spinal biologics to enhance healing. He completed his spine training at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles and was subsequently Chief of the Spinal Surgery Service at UCLA until his recruitment to HSS. He is currently a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine and Medical Director and Chief of HSS Orthopedics with Stamford Health. 
Anna Mercaldi is a senior engineer at Pratt & Whitney. A Connecticut native, Anna graduated from the University of New Haven with a Bachelor’s in chemical engineering and Master’s in Material Process Engineering from WPI. Anna is active volleyball player and coach, loves to spend her mornings at the gym, visit new breweries, game nights and spending time with friends and family. Her parents and two younger sisters reside in Connecticut. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in April of 2021. Since then, she has been involved with the Arthritis Foundation.