Faces of Ankylosing Spondylitis is a website dedicated entirely to the stories of those 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. You can read all of the stories (there are close to 2,000!) at thefacesofankylosingspondylitis.com/
By Tom Contrino
I have AS, I deal with it. We all know the challenges, I promised I would never miss a day of work due to it, I have kept my promise to myself and still work actively as a fashion photographer in NYC and on location around the country everyday. Yes there is pain, I think it’s just become a baseline point of reference to me. I’m still standing tall.
By M.J. Rowan
My experience with Rheumatologists wasn’t great. I remember one saying “we don’t know what causes it, 30% of people will have chronic RA, 30% of people will only have one flare, 30% of people will have it come and go and I don’t know which one you are”.
By Carrie Bonin
The first time I complained to my doctor about pain in the morning was around 16. His response was “Most people wake up with some pain in the morning. It’s completely normal”.
By Jen Crosby
Many of you may or may not know about the medical issues that have been going on within my body. They have changed my life in so many ways.
I am an LCH WARRIOR and AS FIGHTER.
By Gillian
My name is Gillian and I have been living with Ankylosing Spondylitis all my life, one way or another. As a child, I was aware my dad wasn’t the same as other dads, he was bent right over, completely stiff and had trouble looking in a forward direction. All I was ever really told as a child was “your dad’s got a bad back”.
By Kristen Ray
"It was important for me to do this, not for myself, but for each one of the Faces on this site and those who are still unknown. I wanted to show the reality of this disease and the courage it takes to live our lives. I wanted to honor those who have Ankylosing Spondylitis, who I admire and respect."
—Cookie Hopper Creator of Faces of AS, SAA Member, and Face 0062