The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
There’s no slowing down this teen
14-year-old leading way in juvenile arthritis awareness
Soccer standout Benny Waida of Mentor isn’t allowing juvenile arthritis to kick him around.
“Everything happens for a reason. The fact that I’m meeting new people, going to Juvenile Arthritis conferences, those kinds of experiences I’m having a lot of… I think it’s going to be a good thing for as much as it’s bad.”
Soccer standout Benny Waida isn’t allowing juvenile arthritis to kick him around.
In fact, the 14-year-old athlete from Mentor who previously traveled around the country playing his favorite sport is facing the challenge head on.
He recently was chosen as the youth honoree at the Arthritis Foundation’s 2017 Walk to Cure Arthritis at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and thus far Benny, along with his teammates Waida’s Wolf Warriors, have raised approximately $14,000 for the cause.
While at the May 13 event he bravely coped with the pain and swelling affecting his joints and managed to walk about a mile before needing to finish the remainder of the 5K distance in a wheelchair.
Wheelchairs were the last thing on the active boy’s mind a few years ago prior to his diagnosis of enthesitis , a form of arthritis affecting the points connecting tendons and ligaments to bones.
At a young age his soccer skills had led him to several tournaments and championships. Shannon Waida, Benny’s mother, had even heard buzz about potential scholarships.
But one day in the spring of 2014 after playing three full games his right heel began to hurt causing his leg to drag. At first the pain was chalked up to overuse. When it wouldn’t stop Shannon took him to several doctors who diagnosed it as Sever’s disease, a common heel injury occurring in children. After treatment proved ineffective, additional testing revealed severe arthritis.
Over the next months the pain became progressively worse, spreading to the left foot as well as his ankles, knees and legs. Swelling prevented him from wearing shoes and use of a wheelchair became a common occurrence.
Shannon noted that staff members at Mentor Shore Middle School where Benny attends have been remarkable in their efforts to educate students about the disease and the challenges Benny faces.
“In a matter of 15 minutes I can go from walking around to needing a wheelchair and that’s what people don’t understand,” Benny said.
Others becoming aware of the disease’s effects has helped him.
However, arthritis isn’t the only illness with which Benny must cope. In 2015 he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, an inflammatory bowel disease. And recently an esophageal condition causing severe vomiting has surfaced.
Regardless of the trials the teen now faces, including a vast void that not playing soccer has created, he manages to keep an upbeat attitude and continues
— Benny Walda, 14, of Mentor
to raise awareness of arthritis.
Last year he attended a Juvenile Arthritis Conference where he mentored younger children learning how to deal with the disease. He has also created videos on YouTube, some of which have been used to spread awareness by the Arthritis Foundation.
“Everything happens for a reason,” Benny said. “The fact that I’m meeting new people, going to Juvenile Arthritis conferences, those kinds of experiences I’m having a lot of… I think it’s going to be a good thing for as much as it’s bad. If I get through this I’ll look back at it and I’ll still be fundraising for arthritis.”
Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the U.S., affecting more than 50 million people. The Arthritis Foundation is committed to finding a cure for the millions of people who suffer from arthritis pain, including 300,000 children and their families.