CHASE (NBC 26) — A little girl from the town of Chase raised tens of thousands of dollars to help people with her disease. Now, she's getting national attention.
- Kiana Knoespel is one of three youth honorees for the National Arthritis Foundation this year
- We first met Kiana when she raised tens of thousands of dollars for a charity walk to end arthritis
- With the national recognition, her family hopes to continue raising funds and awareness for juvenile arthritis
- Kiana's rheumatologist says juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune condition, different from the arthritis many people develop as they age
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story with additional details for the web)
On this quiet street in the town of Chase, a six-year-old lives a very different life than most kids her age. I'm Pari Apostolakos and I first introduced you to Kiana Knoespel at a walk for arthritis in June. Now, she's being honored on a national stage for helping people like her.
Watch Pulaski neighborhood reporter Pari Apostolakos' full story here:
Friday morning, Kiana plays with her sisters and parents and does some puzzles, even mixing in a bit of roughhousing.
But her days aren't always this sunny. Kiana was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at three-and-a-half years old.
"Juvenile arthritis is an autoimmune inflammatory process where the body is attacking itself," Dr. Paul Tuttle, Kiana's rheumatologist, said.
Her family says although she may not always seem sick on the outside, they work to raise awareness so that people can be kind, since they cannot know what someone is going through by looks alone.
"Each day is different," Kiana's mom, Sheena Knoespel, said. "We might see her earlier in the day and she's doing well and then all of the sudden that afternoon we've really taken a turn and she can't walk."
"I take shots 'cause it helps my knees not hurt," Kiana said. "I have a heating pad at school and here [at home] and I also have like a blanket at school to rest on."
"It just makes me sad when I see her in the stroller or being picked up because that means to me her legs are hurting," Kiana's older sister, Shaelyn Knoespel, said.
Since her diagnosis, Kiana's family has raised tens of thousands of dollars for arthritis research. Because of her advocacy, Kiana is one of just three youth honorees for the National Arthritis Foundation this year.
"We decided to get really involved and raise as much funds as we can to give back and to create a positive," Sheena said. "To channel that frustration and anger that gets created and create some awareness and positivity."
The National Arthritis Foundation says there are about 6,000 kids in Wisconsin with juvenile arthritis and 300,000 nationwide.
""Nobody wants their kid to go through an illness ... Our biggest thing is to make sure she feels good, she's healthier. You know? If this is our little bit that we can put back towards that it's a feel good for us," Kiana's dad, Kyle Knoespel, said. "It's a feel good to help others with the same problem."
Kiana has a message for anyone dealing with something difficult.
"Keep trying, don't give up," she said. "Just do it if you even don't want to."
Kiana and her family hope to raise $30,000 for arthritis research this year.
