Accelerating hope: Families with JIA come together at JAR’s ‘Racing for a Cure’ event

Write up by Ciara Mahaffy

JIA charity Juvenile Arthritis Research (JAR) is urgently racing towards what all families affected by JIA want: a cure. On 12th October 2025, JAR made this race tangible by taking a pit stop in London to let children with JIA have a go at racing, in a very exciting way: by driving F1 simulator race cars!  

I had the immense pleasure of attending the JAR Racing for a Cure event last month. For most attendees, our race started that Sunday morning as we excitedly raced from all across the UK towards the F1 Arcade in London. I took the train down from Cambridge and spent the journey overcome with eager anticipation; I’ve been following JAR since my own JIA diagnosis six years ago, and I could not believe I was finally going to one of their events! Once in London, I walked over the Thames, passed St. Paul’s Cathedral, in all its radiance, and then rounded the corner to see JAR volunteers all decked out with JAR t-shirts and signs and with wide, welcoming smiles. After being welcomed by the JAR volunteers with such genuine vigour, I went up to the private event space JAR had booked, where I was then greeted by the JAR celebrities themselves: founders Richard and Rebecca and, of course, their daughter Trinity. 

Looking around the room, I could already see it was abuzz with connection. Parents sharing both deep laughs and empathetic nods as they related their families' JIA experiences to each other, kids racing around the room and staring at the F1 machines - getting prepped to be speed machines, and teens being courageous and going up to introduce themselves to each other. 

The racing soon set off. The children were divided into two teams of racers; they made team names, and soon the racing began! Mario Kart skills did not get racers far on the F1 simulators - this was real racing! Teammates united in cheers for each other and also shared tips and words of encouragement. This was a great bonding moment between families, uniting over shared fun. The racing wrapped up, and the winning team roared with good-humoured pride. The racing was over, but the deeper reason for why we were here was still to be tackled. 

 The racing was over, but the deeper reason for why we were here was still to be tackled. 

After refuelling with an excellent buffet lunch, we channelled the racing adrenaline into enthusiasm and interest for the work being done in the race to try and cure JIA. We were so lucky that Dr Susa Benseler, co-leader of UCAN (Canada-Netherlands Personalized Medicine Network in Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatic Diseases), took time out of her busy schedule to fly over from Ireland to explain UCAN’s work and answer our questions about the latest research. Dr Benseler’s presentation was deeply informative, clear, and reassuring. In simple terms, UCAN is aiming to develop tools that, at the time of diagnosis, can determine which treatment will work for a patient. Currently, children often need to try a number of medications before finding one that works. This delay allows children to develop more joint damage and leaves them living a lower quality of life for longer. This project aims to get kids back to all the things they love to do as quickly as possible. Many families in the room have faced this exact frustration on their child’s JIA journey and, as such, were incredibly grateful for and excited by this work. 

A huge highlight of the event was that Daniella Sutton, a real F4 driver who also has JIA, sent in a video message to all of the attendees. As she demonstrates, a JIA diagnosis does not rip away hope of achieving your dreams. So much is possible for kids with JIA, and with increased treatment accuracy, even more will hopefully become possible!

For myself, one of my favourite parts of the day was talking and connecting with all of the families present. I appreciated hearing their stories and where they are in their journeys now. I know that I would have greatly benefited from attending an event such as this as a newly diagnosed teen, and I was thrilled that so many kids and teens were getting this opportunity. 

That afternoon, JIA lost its power as just a negative experience and, instead, became the children’s golden ticket to a free day of fun at the F1 Arcade

The JAR Racing for a Cure event was an inspiring afternoon full of connection, education, understanding and….fun!! That afternoon, JIA lost its power as just a negative experience and, instead, became the children’s golden ticket to a free day of fun at the F1 Arcade - with huge thanks to Nationwide Building Society for the funding to have made it possible! When the children who attended now think about “JIA” they don’t just have pain, inflammation and hardship to think about, but also this fabulous afternoon of fun and connection. Building positive associations with JIA is so helpful for children and families in their JIA journey. A helpful mindset can do so much for a family's ability to tackle tough times. 

Building positive associations with JIA is so helpful for children and families in their JIA journey.

For many families, JIA is an endurance race, not a sprint. Sometimes, the finish line is out of sight, and the race conditions are so miserable that each movement forward can feel draining. JAR recognises these difficulties, and they help families through them. JAR runs with them along the sidelines with fuel (support) and race plans (education) to keep everyone going. 

This event was one of those ways that JAR supports. We raced towards a cure for JIA and, in doing so connected with the best teammates, got reassured about an effective JIA race plan ahead, and had so much fun. Thank you to JAR for this amazing event! 

Thank you Ciara for writing this brilliant piece! We love your analogies with racing and how well you have captured the atmosphere of the day with your writing.