By Erin Hull

Carol Bass was a dancer. But when she was ten years old Bass, now 53, was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. The disease slowly debilitates her joints and causes periods of intense physical pain.

In spite of her physical pains, she chooses to search for the joy in life, and has found happiness within her relationships, her work, and her faith. Bass has worked for 24-years as a school counselor at Blair Elementary in Wilmington, NC.