Arthritis Dubai Walk

Walkathon a triumph for arthritis victimsBy Zoe Sinclair (Our staff reporter)24 November 2007
DUBAI — Young and old alike, arthritis sufferers of every age and description along with fellow walkers took part in “Steps for Arthritis”, the first Emirates Arthritis Foundation (EAF) walkathon yesterday.
For arthritis patients like Nael Hammad, 32, his completion of the walkathon of about 4km at Dubai Festival City yesterday was a sign of how far his treatment had come in the three years since he first developed the condition.
It took one-and-a-half years for the doctors to diagnose the type of arthritis he had as psoriatic arthritis, and another year before he received the correct treatment.
In that time, his condition caused him so much pain and was debilitating that he was unable to go about his daily life including work and family life. He eventually lost his job.
After getting in touch with the EAF, his condition has improved so much that he was proud to finish the walkathon with his family by his side.
“I’m very very happy,” he said.
“It gives me such pleasure that I’m here and I can support others and we can increase awareness.”
EAF director and organiser of yesterday’s walkathon Dr Cathy Liebman said Hammad’s experience of misdiagnosis and difficulty in finding the best treatment was not unusual.
Liebman said there were more than 100 forms of arthritis and it was important to realise the condition affected 20 per cent of the community, as high a rate as diabetes, but arthritis also led to disability.
“If you think you might have arthritis, go and see a rheumatologist,” she urged.
“Don’t be scared to get a second opinion and the foundation can answer any questions.”
She said raising awareness of the condition, the main aim of the walkathon, was crucial as many people did not realise the extent of the population, including young people, that were affected by the condition.
Katrina Oakeley, 25, a sufferer of juvenile chronic arthritis and EAF secretary, is testament to the range of people touched by arthritis.
Oakeley developed the disease when she was one-year-old and has been trying to manage it ever since.
She is on medication for the pain and treatment of the condition and has also had operations to have her wrists fused to help her function better.
“There are good days and bad days,” Oakeley said.
“There are days when you feel fine. But there are days when you don’t want to get out of bed because the pain is so bad.
“It’s a state of mind. If you let it beat you then that’s when you’ve lost.”
Many of the patients urged fellow sufferers to keep positive and join support groups.
But the most important message was to be aware of the disease because early diagnosis and the correct treatment was the best chance for managing it as a definitive cure is yet to be found.
Liebman said Dh192,500 was raised through corporate sponsors and the 250 people who registered for the walkathon.Held under the patronage of Princess Haya bint Hussein, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the walkathon will become an annual event for the next three years