Family Matters :)

Here are a fee of my favorite pictures from the Mrs. West Virginia International Pageant! I can't wait to receive the others, especially ones with the man who made me a Mrs :)







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Moving Closer to a Cure

An Evening with the Arthritis Foundation in West Virginia

May 30, 2013 - Embassy Suites in Charleston, WV

The Arthritis Foundation is hosting a research event at the Embassy Suites in Charleston on Thursday, May 30th! The evening begins at 6:30 with a reception and exhibits, is followed by a program and dinner from 7:15 - 8:15 with a post-reception and exhibit from 8:15 - 9pm.

The event will feature John Hardin, MD who recently served as Vice President of Research for the Arthritis Foundation, acting as the lead scientific reviewer and spokesperson on research, medical studies and treatment of arthritis and related diseases. Additionally, Kelly Kafka, MD, President of the West Virginia Rheumatology Society will be presenting along with a West Virginia 'Face of Arthritis' Kirsten Smith.

Of course, I will be there making an official Mrs. West Virginia International appearance!

Individuals interested in attending should RSVP by Thursday, May 23, 2013 to Shannon Holland, Branch Director - sholland@arthritis.org or 304-205-1510

This event is made possibly through partners DOW and Genentech.

May is National Arthritis Month!

I can't believe my dream of being Mrs. West Virginia came true with The Arthritis Foundation as my platform DURING National Arthritis Month!

I am so excited to start spreading awareness with my title...we get in full swing starting this Thursday at our WV Advisory Board Meeting!


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A Journey Has Begun

Yesterday, my life changed.

It has been my DREAM to be crowned Mrs. West Virginia and after a day of competition yesterday, it came true!

I officially have been crowned Mrs. West Virginia International and now have the opportunity to be a voice for The Arthritis Foundation in our state all year. This platform is obviously VERY close to my heart, as I live with the harsh affects arthritis has on our bodies each day. 

I will be traveling the state to build awareness, raise money for research and provide support for the many in our state who are affected by arthritis and I can't wait to get started. I will also travel to Chicago in July to compete at the Mrs. International Pageant with The Arthritis Foundation as my official platform.

This is only the beginning of my journey. I look forward to sharing stories with you along the way as I set out to prove that arthritis is just a PART of my life...it doesn't CONTROL my life...and it doesn't have to control yours, either. 

Mrs. West Virginia International! We Did It!

I am so excited to announce that yesterday, I was crowned Mrs. West Virginia International with the Arthritis Foundation as my official platform! I cannot wait to travel the state of West Virginia to speak about all that we can do to help the over 523,000 people with arthritis in our state. Thank you so much to Shannon Holland, our WV Director for all of your support and my wonderful friends and family :)


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It's Pageant Day

I'm writing from the beautiful Tamarack in Beckley, WV today as I compete for Mrs. West Virginia International with The Arthritis Foundation as my platform! Ready to rock it! :)


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The Facts Behind Arthritis in West Virginia

We Need to Support the Arthritis Foundation in West Virginia!

Here's Why:

• WV is number 1 in the United States in prevalence of adults with arthritis at 36%


• 523,000 people have arthritis or a related disease


• 1,600 children have a form of juvenile arthritis (JA)


• There are 0 pediatric rheumatologists in the state


• 42% of those working with arthritis have arthritis attributable work limitation


• $1 billion dollars is the approximate cost of arthritis to West Virginia annually

Number 1 in the US, over 1 thousand of our children affected and nowhere for them to obtain care in our state? This is astounding. Let's get on board to get West Virginia informed about arthritis, making movement toward a better quality of life and funding research to cure this disease!


For more information about the Arthritis Foundation in WV, visit www.arthritis.org/west-virginia/