By Steve Sears

15-year-old Wayne teenager, Maria Leo, has been named Young Adult Honoree for the June 5, 2022 Walk to Cure Arthritis in West Orange. 

“We have been going to the Hackensack University Medical Center since Maria was two, when she was first diagnosed,” says Enrico Leo, Maria’s dad. “I’ve been working with a nurse there who we’ve known all these years, and in the fall she nominated Maria and she asked Maria if she wanted to take the post. We’ve known the nurse and the group there at that practice for a long, long time.”

Maria will be heavily involved in preparing for the event with committee meetings, recruiting and fundraising, as well as giving a speech when the June walk completes. Committee meetings began in the fall, and in mid January preparation picked up speed with the formation of subcommittees. Maria, her dad, and also her mom, Joanna, will all be volunteering. In fact, the family took part in the Jingle Bell Run (and walk) on December 4, 2021 at Bell Works in Holmdel.

Walks are held throughout the year, and the June walk will be held at the South Mountain Recreation Complex. The event is sponsored by the New Jersey Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation.

Maria is one of 300,000 children or teens that have Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. “I would start limping a lot,” she says, “and the area that was hurting was my knees and ankles. We didn’t really know what it was at first because I couldn’t (at age 2) talk and express what I was feeling.” Her pediatrician at that time suspected correctly it might be arthritis, and put Maria on medication, which she stayed on until age seven. Her situation improved, then flared up at age 10 in her right knee. “I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk,” she recalls. She returned to medication and her situation has improved. “I think things are getting better right now with my arthritis, and I’m hoping that there’s no more flare ups soon or anything like that.”

Maria is a true inspiration, having participated through the years in such activities as gymnastics and soccer, and last year excelling in her first year ever playing softball on her high school’s Junior Varsity team. Per her parents, people are always amazed to find out Maria even has Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, and although she sometimes feels pain or discomfort, she rarely ever complains or let’s it stop her, she being resilient. The family wishes to truly thank the wonderful doctors and nurses at The Pediatric Rheumatology Department of The Joseph Sanzari M. Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center, who introduced them to The Arthritis Foundation

“We are extremely proud that Maria has been named this years’ Young Adult Honoree for the West Orange, New Jersey 2022 Walk to Cure Arthritis!” Enrico and Joanna Leo state. “We hope that in Maria being so brave to share her personal experience living with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, that it not only helps to raise awareness but, more importantly, helps to raise funds to support the much-needed research especially for the children whom have to continue to endure this auto-immune disease. And in doing so, we hope that one day there can truly be a cure!”

 If you would like to support Maria or take part in the Walk to Cure Arthritis, visit www.walktocurearthritis.org\westorange.