After meeting Amanda and her family, I can assure you that I’ve never been as inspired as when I left their house. Amanda, now 13 and a half, is a typical teenager; she likes music, shopping, watching TV. Her most favorite movie is the Wizard of Oz, followed by Disney’s Cinderella, Grease, and the Sound of Music. What is atypical, is that Amanda has been suffering from Juvenile Arthritis (polyarticular arthritis, affecting more than 5 joints) for over 7 years.

Amanda and her family have been dealing with Arthritis and its challenges since her diagnosis at 6 years of age. On hindsight, her mother, Bernadette says the symptoms were there for a while. Amanda was gradually slowing down when it came time to wake up or doing certain activities. Her wrists had suddenly swollen following a fall, and after months of tests, she was diagnosed with JA.

Amanda talked about her good days, and her bad days. She shows a tremendous amount of knowledge of her disease, as well as her medications and treatments. Bernadette feels that knowledge is the best way to deal with things. Amanda has gone through a series of medications, some helping more than others, and the latest one is part of the biologics medication. Bernadette mentioned that before medications can be given to children, they usually get tested in the US, on adults, and only after years of tests can they be administered to children; therefore, children are typically the last to benefit from the new medications.

Both Bernadette and Amanda’s younger sister Kelsey have been critical to Amanda’s success in dealing with this affliction. Kelsey, at the young age of 5 would be the one to help Amanda take off her night splints, and she would play Barbies with Amanda to keep her company during the long bathtub soaks Amanda needed to ease the pain in her joints.

Through the years, Amanda has not let her condition stop her from helping out others. She served as a patient for doctors taking their exams, she was in one of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s telethon commercial, she unveiled a plaque at the hospital and she is often asked to speak to other young ones dealing with the same type of challenges.

Amanda fells that there is very little awareness of Juvenile Arthritis, and most commercials only feature older people, which perpetuate the lack of knowledge that kids also are afflicted by arthritis. Bernadette raised the issue that very little is known about Juvenile Arthritis. “Because it’s an invisible disability, it sometimes is difficult to recognize” she added, knowing that at times she has been questioned about Amanda’s condition.

There is so much that could be written about Amanda, her family, and their quest to deal with this challenge, but I have to stress that their outlook on life is commendable. “You can’t be serious all the time” Bernadette says “you need to keep the balance in order to deal with this”.

In meeting with them, I can assure you that I will learn much about Arthritis, and Amanda will definitely be my inspiration for my marathon. We all hope that with the funds that are raised to promote awareness and fund research, one day, Amanda could be doing that same marathon with me! With YOUR help, anything is possible! Please consider that Arthritis is not just an older person’s affliction, and give generously! We all appreciate your support and encouragement!