Amber Cress
Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and Uveitis
Young Adult Honoree
 Amber was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and uveitis in 1998. Amber is passionate about disability advocacy and was named Arthritis Foundation Platinum Ambassador in 2023. She recently joined the Arthritis Foundation Minnesota Board of Directors and is hoping to help drive young adult initiatives and engagement. Amber shares her story and experiences in hopes of inspiring others to live their lives with resiliency, tenacity, and perseverance. She finds it very fulfilling to work towards creating a world of inclusion by sharing her talents and contributions to impact the missions both at Lifeworks, a nonprofit that partners with people with disabilities, and the Arthritis Foundation.
Amber is a huge Vikings and Gophers fan. She loves watching football, hockey, tennis, and baseball. She enjoys going to rock concerts, reading, and playing tennis with her brother. |
Michael Reich and his family moved to Minnesota in 2019. Originally from Maryland, he earned his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and his medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Case Western Reserve University and his joint replacement fellowship at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, CA. He has numerous publications in arthroplasty and general orthopaedics, currently reviews research abstracts for the annual American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons meeting, and is on the editorial board for The Journal of Arthroplasty. He works at TRIA in Woodbury and Stillwater taking care of patients with hip and knee arthritis, fractures and deformities, and general orthopaedic conditions. In his free time, he enjoys traveling with his wife and two daughters, running, grilling, and exploring the Twin Cities.
Nolan is a funny, sweet 6th grader who has been living with polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis since he was diagnosed at 3 years old. He has taken biologic injections since age 4 and has been fortunate to be mostly in medical remission since that time. He participated in his first Juvenile Arthritis walk at the Mall of America this past spring and his first Juvenile Arthritis camp this summer! His passions outside of arthritis advocacy include playing videogames, competing in All Star cheerleading, and all things cats. Nolan is very excited to be this year’s Jingle Bell Run Youth Honoree!