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Margo’s Story 

While living with rheumatoid arthritis can sometimes be a struggle for Margo McKay, giving back to others and working with her therapy dogs are just some of the things that motivate and inspire her.  

Margo McKay was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) shortly after her 40th birthday. After working to find the right medication, she was able to live an active life completely symptom free for five years.  Since then, however, Margo has had a more difficult time finding the right mix of drugs to treat her symptoms with mostly short-term success, if any. 

Margo spends a great deal of time working with therapy dogs that she brings in to visit schools, local jails and hospices. You can often find a 100-pound yellow lab, a tail-wagging, happy, red lab and crotchety basset hound fighting for the spots next to Margo on the couch. She finds the joy that the therapy dogs bring to others, as well as herself, to be indescribable.  

Margo works hard in her job at a high school and in her personal life to give back to others, which keeps her grounded and fills her cup when she is having hard days. While some days she is moving much slower than others and needs help with simpler things, other days she is kicking butt and taking names. 

Margo feels lucky to be surrounded by great family and friends who lift her up when she is feeling down. She has several friends who are suffering with this disease, and she wants to bring them all together to raise money for the Arthritis Foundation. Hopefully there will be a cure for RA, but until then, Margo will do what she can to raise money and awareness for this debilitating disease.