Every year, people with CRPS travel from all over the country to meet up in New York City’s Central Park. People have even made the trip from Australia to join in the festivities. This year, RSDSA will be participating in the Achilles Walk on June 26.

“It is a day of pure hope,” said Jim Broatch, who runs the RSDSA. “People with CRPS get to meet others with CRPS, often for the first time. Caregivers get to meet other caregivers that understand what they experience day in and day out. Bonds are formed. Some of these bonds have gone on to create friendships that help people get through their daily pain.”

RSDSA receives stories from people that have walked in previous Achilles Walks. These stories detail their experiences and how they have helped them.

Anna, a soon to be high school graduate, has been walking since 2013. She says: “The Achilles Walk for Hope and Possibility has always been that event for me that left me counting down the days. My favorite part about it is that it’s a day solely full of great spirits, motivating people, and most of all people who understand.”

Debbie, who has been living with chronic pain for over a decade, found out about the Achilles Walk through a friend in a support group. This friend has become a lifelong friend of hers.

Debbie says: “I always look forward to meeting new people who have RSD/CRPS. It allows us to make connections and maybe a new friendship. I also love the opportunity to meet some of the staff from RSDSA – to put faces to the people who have helped me the most in the 13 years I have had RSD/CRPS.”

For people living with chronic pain, meeting others that understand them can help them immensely. So many live for years without having any understanding, so to have this dynamic change creates a new sense of hope. This hope helps encourage people living with CRPS to educate others, to find doctors that will help them, and to make a difference in the community. It is a remarkable phenomenon.

This year, RSDSA only has 150 in-person walker spots available and the registration deadline is at the end of May. Don’t miss out on experiencing this imperative day of hope. If you cannot attend this walk in person, consider being a virtual walker and organize a walk in your hometown. RSDSA tries to get people from all fifty states and beyond to participate. You can register at http://www.firstgiving.com/rsds/2016-achilles-walk.

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