‘Hero’ helps raise awareness about juvenile arthritis

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‘Hero’ helps raise awareness about juvenile arthritis

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=110954 & sc=98

When son was only seven years old, she started experiencing pain

and disfigurement in her legs.

After several X-rays was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

Now she must take an anti-inflammatory medication just to get through

day-to-day activities. But it makes her very sick so she must also take a

stomach medication.

Now, despite the fact that she lives with chronic pain, she’s a regular

nine-year-old girl.

And this makes her an arthritis hero to the P.E.I. branch of the Arthritis

Society.

“Every March we do Juvenile Arthritis Awareness month. And we’re always very

fortunate if we find an arthritis hero – someone who we think is amazing and

inspiring,†said Sharon Vance, the local Arthritis Society’s programs and

services co-ordinator.

The society is encouraging schools across the province to “Go Blue†between

March 3-7 and wear blue in support of children who suffer from this very

painful disease.

“Kids can bring in loonies or toonies and they get stickers and there’s

prizes as well,†Vance said. “And they can wear anything from blue skirts

and shirts to nail polish or whatever they like.â€

goes to Southern Kings Consolidated School which will be going blue on

Friday.

“This is our first year doing it at Southern Kings,†said ’s mother

Robin son. “And will go to every class and hand out the stickers.

And after school the daycare is doing it, too.â€

The money raised will go toward research of juvenile arthritis, which is one

the most common diseases that children live with. About one in 1,000

children on P.E.I. suffer from some form of the disease.

There is no known cure, but many advances are being made in research and

development, Vance said.

“The research dollars are going to look at genetics, environment and

lifestyles and how they contribute to juvenile arthritis to try to figure

out a trigger. It’s a big mystery.â€

Juvenile arthritis stops the body’s immune system from working properly. The

immune system fails to recognize healthy body tissue and attacks it.

“She’s experiencing a lot of inflammation and extreme fatigue and pain,â€

son said.

“Our first trip to the IWK in Halifax was last week, and we’ll probably have

to go every three months.â€

But remains upbeat and cheerful. Her mom describes her as a loving

girl and said she dreams of one day being a K-9 officer.

“She is determined to not let arthritis stop her dream,†son said.