Bringing awareness to disease affecting 1 of 5 Rhode Islanders

Tim Forsberg
Posted 5/7/15

Renay Houle of Warwick was 13 years old when she was diagnosed with arthritis. Five years later, she was confined to a wheelchair. In the 39 years since her diagnosis, she’s …

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Bringing awareness to disease affecting 1 of 5 Rhode Islanders

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Renay Houle of Warwick was 13 years old when she was diagnosed with arthritis. Five years later, she was confined to a wheelchair. In the 39 years since her diagnosis, she’s undergone 26 surgeries in her battle against rheumatoid arthritis.

“The worst one was when they reconstructed my feet, because they did both feet at the same time,” said Houle. “They broke all of my toes, and they pinned them all, and they cut all the bones off the bottom of my feet. That was really tough.” 

May is National Arthritis Awareness Month, a celebration of those families who live with the condition and an opportunity to bring awareness to the more than 100 types of arthritis.

A 26-year Arthritis Foundation advocate and volunteer, Houle has dedicated her strong leadership skills and passion to help others to focus on removing the burden of arthritis from the Rhode Island community. 

 “We’re raising awareness that arthritis is so prevalent in the state, to let people know how serious a disease it is,” said Tara Gordon, director of marketing and communications of the Arthritis Foundation New England Region. “Renay has overcome tremendous battles with arthritis. She comes to our office every day, whether she’s handing in a donation or to come in and ask to help, or comes in with a lead or to motivate us.”

Originally from Woonsocket, Houle has lived in Warwick for the last 13 years. She was eventually freed from the wheelchair and went to Johnson & Wales for hospitality studies after graduating high school.

“Renay has beaten all the odds. She was diagnosed at a young age before any of the recent medical improvements,” said Robin Maxcy, senior regional director of development of the Arthritis Foundation New England Region. “They told her she probably wouldn’t have a full career, and Renay has a college degree, a phenomenal career, and is helping us every day.”

As many with an illness will attest, hiding the fact one is afflicted or encountering those without full knowledge of an ailment is common.

“No one wants to be different. I remember being in college, speaking with a college professor, and she saw the scars I had from surgery on my wrist and asked if I had attempted suicide,” said Houle. “Arthritis can separate you. What we’re trying to do is to get people to think differently.”

 Houle eventually ended up in the banking industry, working for Bank RI in cash management sales before her condition forced her to stop two years ago,

“I miss my customers, I miss my customer contacts. That was fun,” she said of the loss.

Since then, she’s used her time to ensure others have a better experience with the disease than she did. She’s served in medical trials and on national arthritis committees. The Foundation named Houle the Adult Honoree of the 2014 Rhode Island Walk to Cure Arthritis, where she and her team raised over $13,000. 

Houle and team have come back again for this year’s walk on May 17 in Providence. She is currently the state’s number one fundraiser again.

Looking to create an event that was arthritis-friendly, Lippitt Memorial Park was chosen as this year’s location. This walk is the foundation’s signature fundraising event to prevent, control and cure the nation’s leading cause of disability.

According to statistics provided by the foundation, more than 219,000 adults in Rhode Island have been diagnosed with arthritis, along with 1,000 children.

“Arthritis isn’t just about minor aches and pains, and that’s what’s commonly heard,” said Maxcy. “It’s much more, it can affect any part of the body, any organ. People of all ages die from the complications associated with arthritis.”

Approximately 400 people are anticipated to attend this year’s walk, and Houle and the foundation are looking for more participants.

“It’s one in five Rhode Islanders that are affected by this, so we’d like people to get involved,” said Maxcy. “Everybody knows someone who has arthritis, and the more people we can get involved at a local level will help.”

While celebrating the awareness the month brings to the condition, Houle hopes her experiences will help some of the state’s youngest sufferers.

“I feel like I’ve gone through a lot. I feel like I’ve gone through what most 90-year-olds have gone through, health-wise,” she said. “I’ve met a lot of people that have this disease and are going through this, kids that are going through this, and I was a kid who went through it. If you can give back you’re supposed to give back, and I’m happy to do that.”

She also has an important message for those that were recently diagnosed or are currently suffering.

“Treatment early is very important, listen to your doctor, get exercise, keep moving and keep a positive attitude because that’s going to get you through it,” said Houle. “Remember you are a person first that happens to have the disease; you are not the disease.”   

To register for this year’s walk, visit http://walktocurearthritisrhodeisland.kintera.org. For more information about arthritis visit www.arthritis.org.  

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