10-year-old Winnipegger with arthritis walks to fight the disease

This weekend when Manitobans take part in Winnipeg's Walk to Fight Arthritis, Naomi and Leslie Hudson will be among them. 

Naomi, 10, was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis when she was 2. She experiences stiffness in her joints and inflammation in her eyes. The cause of the ailment is not known.

Naomi's mother Leslie said she knew something was wrong with her daughter when the toddler would crawl out of bed in the morning instead of walking. 

Doctors quickly diagnosed Naomi and the medications she uses for both her joints and eyes are quite effective, Hudson told CBC's Information Radio. 

"When I get up and start moving through the day, I feel like a normal kid," Naomi said, adding that sometimes it is difficult for her to get moving at the start of the day due to stiffness. 

"Like everybody else out there, we didn't really know children could have arthritis so it was surprising to us. But we've spent a lot of time learning about it," Hudson said. 

The Walk to Fight Arthritis takes place on Sunday at 10 a.m. starting in Assiniboine Park.

Proceeds from the walk go to Arthritis Society research and educational programs. 

More than 4.6 million Canadians suffer from arthritis according to the Arthritis Society.