AiArthritis logo showing stylized infinite loop symbol in red with black dots, above organization name for International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis.
AiArthritis Voices 360 Special Series: The AUTO Ball
In 2020, our organization - which has predominantly operated ONLINE since our inception, had plans to venture out OFFLINE in an attempt to reach a broader base of patients and stakeholders who may not be familiar with our organization. To launch these efforts, we planned our first gala, the AUTO Ball: Race for Global Education and Awareness to be held at the National Museum of Transportation - Earl C. Lindburg Auto Center in our headquarters city of St. Louis, MO. We intended to use this event to honor the 450 million people worldwide affected by our diseases, introduce our organization and associated programs to the public, and educate participants about our diseases by comparing them to full body AUTOmobiles. 

While our original plans to host the AUTO Ball was interrupted due to COVID-19, that did not prevent us from attempting to reach our goal to broaden our reach. From May 16 - 20th we hosted our AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show LIVE on our Facebook page, featuring key projects, and demonstrating how our work to include all voices "at the table" is necessary to impact change. The content recorded during this event is outlined below and available to view on our Facebook page. We will also be building on these conversations and turning them into future Talk Show episodes. 

In addition to expanding our reach by introducing who we are, what we do, and how you can get involved, this event was to serve as our primary fundraiser for 2020. Now more than ever our presence in the community is important. Please consider a gift to help us continue our work through 2021. 

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Event Overview

Over the four day online event, several of our AiArthritis Voices 360 patient Co-Hosts - along with other guest Co-Hosts - participated in discussions alongside other stakeholders, as equals, to solve problems that will impact education, advocacy, or research.  

Thank you to the following people who joined us "at the table" to make this event possible: 
  • AiArthritis CEO and person living with our diseases, Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, for being our Host. Recurring AiArthritis Voices 360 patient Co-Hosts Kelly Conway - Co-Founder, Blogger - As My Joints Turn: My Autoimmune Soap Opera; Suz Schrandt, President of ExPPect; Kaleb Michaud, PhD - FORWARD National Data Bank, Deb Constien, Danielle Dass, Katie Emmerson, Judy Flanagan - AiArthritis Volunteers; Estella and Juana Mata - Looms 4 Lupus; Rick Phillips - Blogger - RA & Diabetes and Guest Co-Host Traci Brown, AiArthritis Volunteer. 
  • Honorary Chair, Angela Durazo, race car driver, actress and person living with rheumatoid arthritis
  • Guests Dr. Al Kim and Dr. Lisa Zickhur from Washington University Rheumatology; Carrie Beach RN from Rheumatology Nurses Society, and Dr. Aurelie Najm, University of Glasgow/OMERACT. 
  • Our producers Ryan Reeves & Bill Dass - we couldn't have done this without you!

View the Episodes
This live AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show event was recorded on our organizations' Facebook Page. All raw footage of the episodes can be viewed in full by clicking on the photos below. We will also use content from these recordings to develop episode for the regularly scheduled AiArthritis Voices 360 audio podcast shows (audio only). 
Honorary Chair -Angela Durazo 

Angela is an inspiring person who not only lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), she is a former triathlete, award-winning actress, and the first female to enter the Formula 4 US Race Championship. While RA may have interrupted her professional world in triathlons, it didn't stop her from translating her passion for sports into another "vehicle" .... car racing. 

Like most patients, Angela "looks great" because AiArthritis diseases are typically invisible, as they attack the body on a cellular level from the inside out. Eventually the inflammation caused enough destruction that she underwent multiple shoulder surgeries and knee surgery, followed by months of more rehabilitation. "When I left triathletes I went into severe depression. Doing them was a big part of my identity - my work, my friends, it was everything I had and who I was. When I lost that I didn't know what to do. Auto racing has given me a second chance to be an athlete."  

Join Angela as she discusses invisible disease and adjusting to a new normal. And learn more about her plans to shift again to another career! 
Track 1: How we started, where we are going, and how we impact Education, Advocacy, & Research
Meet the Co-Founders & learn more about what makes our organization special. - with Tami Caskey Brown & Kelly Conway.

Organization CEO gives an overview of the past & current efforts so you can be informed of our impact and plans for the upcoming years. 
Tiffany and Co-Host, Kaleb Michaud - Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis/Rheumatoid Arthritis, Co-Director at FORWARD: National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases - discuss the new AiArthritis Voices online work space & databank collaboration to measure our research. 
Tiffany is joined by Co-Host, Danielle Dass - Rheumatoid Arthritis, Axial Spondyloarthritis, et al & former educator - to discuss the impact of COVID-19 & share how you can get involved in our research efforts. 

Track 2: Conferences - sessions, meetings, & networking leads to project development & support
Attending conferences enables us to share what we learn with YOU & connect with stakeholders who become project supporters. - with Deb Constien
In 2019 we attended the EULAR Scientific Congress & participated in an e-Health session co-led by Aurelie. What has evolved since then? BONUS - follow up on our collaboration to advance precision medicine with our knees (and participate!) - with Deb Constien, Aurelie Najm
As we continue the conversation on E-Health in the time of COVID-19, Tiffany and Co-Host, Deb Constien - Rheumatoid Arthritis - speak with rheumatologist, Dr. Lisa Zickhur, about online visits & what we need to consider when designing future protocols. 
Tiffany and Co-Host, Katie Steele - Juvenile Arthritis/Rheumatoid Arthritis - speak with Carrie Beach, RN from Rheumatology Nurses Society about our collaboration to advance Precision Medicine. Learn how YOU can get involved!
Track 3: Global Awareness - efforts that can lead to early detection & improved quality of life for those living with AiArthritis diseases
Tiffany is joined by Co-Host, Suz Schrandt - Juvenile Arthritis/Rheumatoid Arthritis and Founder/President of ExPPect and rheumatologist, Dr. Al Kim, to discuss the importance of differentiating arthritis types to improve detection and diagnosis and what we can do together to jumpstart education.
Tiffany is joined by foundation volunteer, Traci Brown - Adult Onset Still's Disease - to talk about patient involvement in education and research. Focus on our Patient-Reported Still's Disease brochures & Early Symptoms of AiArthritis Study. Learn how you can get involved in both!
Tiffany does a short segment (we call a "mini-sode") that explains key differences between Osteoarthritis (OA) and autoimmune diseases or autoinflammatory diseases that include arthritis as a major clinical component (Autoimmune Arthritis, Autoinflammatory Arthritis, or AiArthritis). 
We conclude this 4 day AUTO Ball by inviting several of our AiArthritis Voices 360 recurring Co-Hosts to join us in honor of World AUTOimmune & AUTOinflammatory Arthritis Day, the 1st program we established as a nonprofit. Katie Steele - JA/RA; Rick Phillips - RA; Judith Flanagan - RA; Estella Mata - Caregiver; Juana Mata Lupus & RA; Tiffany - Axial Spondyloarthritis; Kelly Conway - Undifferentiated Disease/RA
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