Kelly

Patient Leader

I am a patient living with Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia & Thyroid disease. I am also a cofounder of the International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis. My passion is awareness & advocacy for the rheumatology community & all those living w/ chronic illness. I believe strongly in the patient voice & use my voice advocate on Capitol Hill for patients with rheumatology diseases. I love connecting w/ other patients via social media & my life is richer being a part of this amazing community. I write about my life w/ arthritis & my pets on my blog: As my Joints Turn.

Nominations

Not only is Kelly living with RA, fibromyalgia, and more herself, but she also cares for a spoonie dog who lives with syringomyelia and a number of other health issues. Though one or both of them are almost always suffering, she finds a way to share their stories with humor. Whether in a short quip or a full blog, Kelly makes me literally LOL. — Kerry

Kelly is a blog friend turned real life friend in this crazy world of patient advocacy. I've always admired her strength in maintaining a stressful full-time job, her own ongoing chronic health issues, taking care of er elderly parents, and her famous Spoonie pup, Miss Georgia Grace. — MarlaJan