Faces of AS

Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis is a website dedicated entirely to the stories of those living with AS. Men, women, and children from numerous countries and continents have shared their stories and photos, and we will be sharing some of them here with you, with our gratitude to all, including project founder Cookie Hopper. You can read all of the stories (there are over 2,000!) at thefacesofankylosingspondylitis.com.

ByKristen Ray

Face 2033

Kristen Ray My journey with Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) has been very long, my first memories of symptoms starting at around age 6. Back then AS was only considered to be a man’s disease, it wasn’t until the…

ByJane Bruckel

Face 1983

Co-Founder of Spondylitis Association of America, The first President of the Board of Directors and the first Executive Director In 1983, when I co-founded this organization, there was no information available about AS – not a single…

ByMac Reynolds

Face 1982

My AS story began when I was a 19 year old missionary in England, pounding the pavement all day every day...

ByDaniel King

Face 1818

My memory of that day in 1997 centers around driving home on I-295 in Portland, in the Fore River area; that’s when the words I’d just heard took hold. “You have been diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis.”

ByJeannette Anne Hayes

Face 0026

Jeannette Anne Hayes As many others with ankylosing spondylitis, I’ve become passionate about helping raise awareness. It’s my hope (our hope) that future generations will receive early diagnosis and treatment before permanent damage is done to the…

ByChar

Face 0126

Char My name is Char and I’m a mom of two of the most amazing daughters on the planet, a wife to my best friend and soul mate, a dancer, a personal trainer, a group fitness instructor…