13-year-old to lead arthritis walk

"A 13-year-old from Washington, D.C., who has taken more than 30,000 pills and 250 injections to treat her juvenile rheumatoid is slated to lead the local Arthritis Walk on May 14 in Portage.

Emily Smith, who was diagnosed at age 2, is a leading advocate for children who get arthritis. She picked the Portage walk from among 286 nationwide, according to the Arthritis Foundation.

"I want people to know that kids can get arthritis, too, and that we need all the funding for research we can get," Smith said in a foundation news release.

Also scheduled to walk are Craig and Kathy Nelson and their daughter Kaylynn, 5, of Otsego, and Cheryl White and her daughter Chelsey, 15, of Richland. Kaylynn and Chelsey have juvenile arthritis." (more)