Annabelle

"Since being in remission I’ve realised how strong I was as a child. When a diagnosis like that becomes such a normal part of life, you forget that you are battling more than you should be, especially at such a young age."

I’m Annabelle and I am now 20 years old and in remission from Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). I was diagnosed at the age of 2 and discharged from the hospital at around the age of 15. 

I asked my Dad his views on raising a child with an arthritis diagnosis and here’s what he said: “As a father, I couldn’t be more proud of my little girl. She was diagnosed with JIA when she was 2 years old and over the years endured flare ups everywhere; knees, ankles, hips, elbows, fingers.  You name it. Under the care and guidance of her doctors, she needed multiple steroid injections to settle individual flare-ups, and she spent prolonged periods on medication, both injections and oral to minimise the risk of more flare ups. As well as the pain, discomfort and nausea from the underlying condition and associated medications, she also endured the mental challenge that comes from regular hospital visits and friends and teachers alike not fully understanding what she was going through. As a teenager, regular comparisons to someone’s elderly arthritic relatives became emotionally draining, no matter how well intentioned the comments might have been. 

As a parent you feel helpless, but she made it easier for us. Despite all she was going through, she smiled, she persevered, she did her physio. She stayed strong. And she stayed true to herself. She wouldn’t let JIA define her and thankfully after twelve years or so, her condition went into remission. 

Life dealt her a poor hand but her positivity, resilience and maturity was rewarded and she’s now free to put those qualities of hers to use in a different way as she looks towards the bright future I believe she deserves.” 

My time at hospitals over the years was overall positive – I met other children like me which wouldn’t have happened anywhere else in those days. Friends and teachers at school always tried to be supportive but it is hard for a lot of people to understand arthritis affects young people too. This did lead to some tricky situations in school regarding needing days off for appointments or sitting on a chair instead of cross legged on the floor. Sometimes this made teachers believe I was just a cheeky kid when really, I was having a flare up and struggling. 

Since being in remission I’ve realised how strong I was as a child. When a diagnosis like that becomes such a normal part of life, you forget that you are battling more than you should be, especially at such a young age. Now I am an adult, I also realise the mental impacts of having a childhood with a JIA diagnosis; this affected my body image and confidence. However, as I got older, I realised that my strength and experience was worth more than comments from other people that are not always correct. I now ask myself ‘is it a fact or a feeling?’ and guide my emotions that way. 

I am forever grateful to be in remission. I am now pursuing a career in Veterinary Bioscience, and I truly believe my curiosity for epidemiology stems from being in hospital environments growing up. I thought it was so cool that they could take fluid from my knee (that was causing my pain and stiffness) for research… meaning I could potentially be helping others like me! 

We are delighted that Annabelle has chosen to become an ambassador for Juvenile Arthritis Research, raising awareness of JIA in her community and networks as well as fundraising for the charity. She and her friends are planning a Snowdon hike in May 2025. You can read more on her Just Giving page here. 

If you would like to share your JIA story, please get in touch.

If you are concerned that a child or young person may have JIA and would like to know more, please visit www.thinkJIA.org

For support at school, please visit our Parent Zone. Schools can request an information toolkit to support children and young people with JIA in their setting at www.jarproject.org/toolkit 

Many of the resources we have developed can support children and young people at school and with explaining their condition to others such as our "I have JIA" cards. You can access these here.

For support with Mental health, please see our Mental health and wellbeing page here.  

You can also help us be there to make life better for children and families affected by JIA by supporting our work at www.jarproject.org/fundraising