A 5K walk will be taking place this weekend in observance of a rare disease that many have never heard of.

Joanne Dalessandro and her warriors will be in Barrington, Illinois, for the Chicagoland Walk and Roll to Cure FSHD event returns to help raise money and awareness about a debilitating form of muscular dystrophy. 

Dalessandro said her journey started 12 years ago and took her 10 years of nationwide doctors' visits in hospitals and clinics before she was diagnosed with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy at the beginning of last year.

The disease has no cure, but treatment for Dalessandro, she said, consists of two doctors' appointments and physical therapy.

"Pilates has been a big part of my life. The main thing is to keep moving constantly, and I do my best to do that," she said.

What keeps her going in the fight for her health?

"The biggest thing I think working for 50 years, when I found out I was diagnosed with this disease, I just had to put together my own personal program to create awareness and advocacy, and I became really super motivated that I wanted to tell the world," she said.

After starting in Barrington, Dalessandro said she's trying to work out through Chicago and bring as many people to the event as possible. She's also developed a campaign called "Fido Fights FSHD," using her own puppy to get the word out.

Her goal?

"Tell 'em a little bit about it. So there's one in 8,000 people worldwide that have it. So, it's rare, and yet it's common among the muscular dystrophy community," she said.

The walk takes place on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. at Citizens Park in Barrington.