Virginia Chapter
Honorees
Your honoree is your inspiration.
We ask that each Joints in Motion team member do their marathon or hike in honor of someone living with arthritis. We work with many people across the state who are affected by some form of the disease, but often our participants are the most touched by the children we work with. Following is a letter written to Chip & Kellie Free, a husband and wife team that completed the Dublin Marathon with us in 2001. Chip & Kellie did the marathon in honor of Amanda, a Richmond, VA girl living with arthritis. As a souvenir, they brought her a t-shirt signed by all of the team members. Here's what Amanda and her mom had to say:
From Amanda:
This is Amanda, and my Mom is writing this for me, because my hands hurt and they're swollen, and I can't hold a pencil right now. My Mom promised she would write everything I say to you. I got the shirt and I really love it. Everybody seems really nice and caring. I feel like they really know me. On the days I get to go to school, I try to wear it. The first dayI wore it to school my friends and my teachers thought it was cool, and that made me even cooler. I even made a few new friends because of it. I didn't have very many friends, but I do now.
I can't wait to meet you and everybody that signed my shirt. I'm hoping to meet them and then they can be my friends too. I want to thank them also for my shirt. I'm going to wear my shirt at my birthday party. I will finally be 12 on February 16th, so I have to wear my luck shirt you sent me. I will be wearing it when I have surgery on February 28th. I will be at the hospital for a few days and then home for 6 to 8 weeks.
From Amanda's Mom:
Thank you so much for making Amanda so happy. I haven't seen her smile in a while until she got her lucky shirt from you and the others. It came at the time that Amanda was sad because of the upcoming surgery. She's still sad--but happy because she has her lucky shirt. Amanda wears her shirt every time we have to see one of her doctors. It really helped to boost her self-estemm to know that other people do care. Thank you and everyone for what you all have done. You didn't just raise money. You have helped Amanda's self esteem and you helped to make her smile and feel good about herself... I myself can't thank you enough. Since (she's received)the shirt, I've seen nothing but smiles. Amanda has made a few extra friends from her lucky shirt at school. Thank you again for making my baby girl smile.
Amanda is only one of the amazing people whose lives you, as a Joints in Motion team member, will touch. Find out how to become a part of the team here.
