Arthritis is often seen as an infliction experienced only by the elderly with few realising that there are forms of arthritis affecting young children. Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) is an umbrella term for several subtypes of JIA which differ based on number of affected joints,...
Several weeks ago an order was placed for a large number of blue CureArthritis silicone bracelets (available here https://curearthritis.org/shop/). Shortly thereafter we received a corresponding email giving us insight into the story behind the order. We were deeply moved by the email and thought by...
Kelly was first diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) at the early age of two. At the time of her diagnosis in 1982, options for treatment were extremely limited. As a result, Kelly’s mobility has become exceedingly restricted, requiring a walker or wheelchair at home...
Chelsie Calvert was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) in 1992 at a mere 14 months old. She has spent a lifetime not allowing the diagnosis of JRA to define her. Rather, she has worked and continues to work hard to rise above it, carving...
Peter A. Nigrovic, MD, is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is a practicing adult and pediatric rheumatologist and director of the Center for Adults with Pediatric Rheumatic Illness (CAPRI) at the Brigham and...
Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an inflammatory disorder that often begins with swollen, warm and painful joints. In patients with JIA, their joints tend to "flare" up with inflammation and then subside. These flares cause aching joints on one or both sides of the body....
Whenever I see a child with juvenile arthritis (JA), my heart aches. Not because it’s especially hard to see a child who lives with a difficult condition – although, of course it is – but because of something a bit different. You see, I was once...
Remember when you were younger and someone would ask you, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” A typical response would be an astronaut, cowboy, policeman, actress, teacher or princess. However, for me, because of my chronic illness, my response was a...
Rheumatoid arthritis is currently an incurable disease that is very difficult to manage. I have no doubt that my story is not unique. In my 24 years of living with arthritis I have never experienced such improved changes in my disease activity as I have...
Early in her career, pediatric rheumatologist, Tiphanie Vogel, MD, PhD, cared for a seven-year-old boy with a rare form of juvenile arthritis (JA). She discovered that her young patient had a specific genetic mutation that damages multiple organs and severely affects the joints. Dr. Vogel, an...