Just after her second birthday, Matt Mooney’s daughter was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis.
“Kat woke from a nap one day, and her right knee was massively swollen,” recalled the Buckhead resident. “There was no injury, no bruise, nothing. We went to the ER and ruled out what it wasn’t.”
After months of investigating, doctors decided the issue was juvenile arthritis.
“I had no idea kids got arthritis,” said Mooney. “In her case, it’s on the autoimmune side. Her body attacks her right knee and her eyes, causing pressure and distorted vision.”
That diagnosis came 12 years ago. Since then, Mooney has become an outspoken supporter of the Midtown-based Arthritis Foundation. He started by participating in the annual Jingle Bell Run 5K with a team of family and friends that, in its first year, raised half of the event’s proceeds. He has been part of the Walk to Cure Arthritis and the foundation’s Crystal Ball charity gala. Six years ago, he joined the national board and has taken on increasing responsibilities. But the Jingle Bell Run has become a major event in the family’s life.
“We are really gung-ho,” he said. “We’ve had teams as large as 50 or 60 in some years. It’s become an all-day festivity. I’m typically on stage to emcee before and after. Since it’s always in December, it’s become a fun part of our holiday tradition.”
His motivation is simple, Mooney said.
“The catalyst is a scared parent with a daughter with this crazy sounding disease you never heard of and a chance she could go blind,” he said. “The whole process was stunning, and my reaction was, ‘What can we do?’”
Mooney said he was also moved by the support his family received from the foundation after his daughter’s diagnosis.
“Just as we were completely overwhelmed, we got an unsolicited package unsolicited from the Arthritis Foundation with a teddy bear that has a warming element we can put on her knee,” he said. “It also came with information for parents. It helped us get our arms around the situation and learn there’s a community out there where we can get educated. It was a really cool, touching thing.”
As his daughter’s condition is monitored regularly, Mooney said she’s likely to lead a full life with no complications. But the uncertainty drives him to stay involved. He’s seen first-hand the foundation’s impact around raising awareness and educating the public on the latest medical treatments and medicines.
“More than 50 million Americans are impacted by arthritis, and that impacts so many other health issues,” he said. “My big mandate is now to raise more awareness.”
Information about the Arthritis Foundation is online at arthritis.org.
Who’s doing good? Each week, we write about a deserving individual, charity events such as fun-runs, volunteer projects and other community gatherings that benefit a good cause. To suggest an event or person for us to cover, contact us at ajc.doinggood@gmail.com.
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