About 500 expatriates side by side with Saudis took part in a “Walk for a Cause” event to create awareness about Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) in Riyadh recently. Local members of a well-known international motorcycle club also participated. A dozen smartly-dressed bike riders and members of the motorcycle club supported the campaign and joined the walk. The weather on the day was pleasant and the enthusiasts walked the two kilometers in good spirits. More walks will be arranged in May next year in Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah. In Riyadh the walk will be held at Kingdom Mall, in Dammam at Dhahran Mall while in Jeddah the event will be hosted at Al-Andalus Mall. A doctor at the event said that Rheumatoid Arthritis is a “chronic, progressive and disabling autoimmune disease” and affects about one percent of Saudi Arabia's adult population. Autoimmune refers to the fact that the body's natural immune system, the system that resists disease, overreacts and attacks its own cells. He said that RA is an incredibly painful condition and can cause severe disability. The level of disability varies from person to person and depends on how severe or aggressive the disease is. RA ultimately affects a person's ability to carry out everyday tasks and reduces the quality of life of every member of the family, not only the patient. __
