The past week has been quite the week for 5-year-old Ashlynn Voll. On Sunday she attended a charity event at Astro Lanes bowling alley that was hosted by her family and raised $895 and on Wednesday she was recognized in Columbus as the Youth Honoree by the Arthritis Foundation of Central Ohio. These two events were held to help bring awareness to and combat Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).
JIA is a form of arthritis that affects kids; it can affect them as old as 15. The disease is referred to as an auto immune disorder so Ashlynn’s body attacks itself. She was diagnosed when she was 14 months old and Ashlynn has had to take some heavy duty medication including Humira to help combat the disease.
When Ashlynn was named the Youth Honoree she and her family became spokesman for the organization, the Walk to Cure Arthritis event, and they agreed to raise $5,000 for research and education about the disease.
The group that will help raise the money is Ashlynn’s Army. If one wants to contribute to the effort, visit their website walktocurearthrities.org/centralohio/ashlynnsarmy.
See Thursday's print edition for the full story.