I have always considered myself to be a healthy, active woman. I have worked as an attorney for the past 10 years, and have been actively involved in many community organizations, in addition to my AOII alumna work. I also have a fun-loving three year-old son who keeps me on my toes.

In July 2002, however, shortly after the birth of our second child, Eleanor, I began to experience a number of unusual symptoms, such as joint pain in nearly every single joint (hands, knees, ankles, fingers, toes, shoulders, and jaw), and morning stiffness that lasted for hours. I could barely walk and could not hold the baby without severe pain. I could not even make a fist. Opening water bottles and doors and getting dressed--seemingly simple tasks--or walking up and down a flight of stairs, proved extremely challenging. I sought medical testing immediately, and in August 2002, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.

I have been coping with the disease ever since, and with proper medication, support from my husband and family, good specialists, and some lifestyle adjustments, am able to work part-time and function better than I could several months ago, when I could barely get out of bed in the mornings due to the joint inflammation. It was truly encouraging to me that so many medications are now available to treat this disease, and I do not think it was any small coincidence that the fraternity that has been so much a part of my life for the last 15 years is so active in the arthritis cause. I recently learned that AOII has contributed $1 million to arthritis research! This is an amazing statistic, given that Arthritis has only been our official philanthropy since 1967! I truly have AOII to thank for the many treatment options, and I want to tell every sister that her contributions, however small, have made and continue to make a difference for me and other arthritis patients.

Recently, I became an AOII Foundation Ambassador. It is my personal goal to raise greater awareness about the many ways in which the Foundation makes a difference in the lives of all AOII sisters. In this regard, I am reminded of lyrics in the song “AOII, The Rose”: “We share all things with each other, our hopes, our fears, our goals. We will always be together, in our hearts and in our souls.” I hope everyone in AOII will consider supporting the Foundation’s endeavors.
Jessie Wang-Grimm, Phi Chi ‘87