Arthritis can't stop 12-year-old Russell's fight

Image Source: winnipegfreepress.com

Russell Listmayer suffers from uveitis- a type of arthritis in eyes that affects vision and causes extreme inflammation. 20 per cent of all cases of blindness are caused due to Uveitis.

Every day Russell eyes have some changes. He is recently been said to go for 11 surgery which would require nerve implants. His vision has been permanently affected. He had detached retinas and cataracts. During the past seven years he has glaucoma from the immunosuppressive chemotherapy.

He is losing the nerves in his eyes from pressure and side-effects of medication. As he has to takes five times five different types of eye drops per day.

Brandeis Orr-Smallwood and Phil Listmayer parent of Russell said that when he was only 5 we began to suspect something was wrong. His eyes were sore all the time and his head would sweat profusely. Thus we took him to a specialist and finally his proper diagnosis was made and treatment began.

Orr-Smallwood say-"He's our warrior. That's what we call him. He's facing his 11th surgery and he's handling it with a lot of courage. He's been dealing with this since he was five years old. He never complains and he never stops fighting. I'm pretty proud of him."

He is also the Youth Ambassador for the 2014 Walk to Fight Arthritis. He is top fundraiser for Winnipeg's Walk to Fight Arthritis for a second straight year.

As he was picked for this walk he said-"I was happy they picked me because I get to tell my story to everyone in the world and let them know that people at the age of three can have arthritis, it's not just old people and it's a lot more serious than many people think."

Russell is not afraid or unhappy with his disease but says that-"I get a lot of people who don't know that you can get it in your eyes. But they believe me, once I tell them a bit of what I've been through.I get to tell my story to everyone in the world and let them know that people at the age of three can have arthritis, it's not just old people and it's a lot more serious than many people think... '

He says that he feel strong but the hardest part about living with arthritis is when your mom cries for you and you don't know what to tell her.

Russell an inspiring child for other!!!