Dr. Alexander Willis
Orthopedic Surgeon
Medical Honoree
 Dr. Alexander Willis is a board certified, fellowship-trained Orthopedic Surgeon specializing in adult reconstructive surgery at Skagit Regional Health.
He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Princeton University and graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. Dr. Willis completed a research fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and a bioethics fellowship at the University of Oxford. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Monmouth Medical Center in NJ and completed fellowship training at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. Dr. Willis help patients with a variety of arthritic conditions, all of which can be extremely debilitating. “The best part of my job is seeing the contrast between when patients first limp into my office in pain and a few months after surgery when they walk in confidently, pain-free, and tell me about all the activities they are finally able to do. I am grateful for the immense privilege of working with a fantastic group of patients and having the opportunity to improve the quality of life of members of our community.” To join or support Dr. Willis, visit his fundraising page today! |
Angelina was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at the age of 5 when her parents noticed her knees were abnormally large. It was hard for Angelina to feel normal from elementary through college after years of different medications, hundreds of doctor appointments, MRI’s, draining’s, and shots. She didn’t want this disease to limit her quality of life and takes extra care to stay active and eat healthy. Angelina recently moved to Seattle and became active in the Arthritis Foundation where she has connected with a community that shares similar experiences. She is so grateful for the Foundation and all the support that it offers for those affected with arthritis. 
At 8 years old, Will had recurring joint pain in his foot that doctors could not explain or successfully treat. The 2 1/2-year journey leading up to his diagnosis was difficult. Will was not able to participate in sports and school activities, he struggled to understand why he always had pain, and he routinely expressed feelings of hopelessness while experiencing pain in new joints. His parents struggled to support him. Finally, after a 10-day steroid trial and a positive HLA B-27 test, Will was diagnosed with enthesitis-related juvenile idiopathic arthritis.