Patient and family stories

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How to talk to your teacher about your arthritis

Sophia has juvenile idiopathic arthritis. In Year 10, Sophia developed a PowerPoint presentation as part of her personal project. She surveyed teachers at her school and adolescents she met through Camp Footloose and developed a guide for teachers. It explains the symptoms and effects of having JIA and provides suggestions about how to support students with similar disabilities. See the resource: A teacher’s guide to JIA Sophia has given…

Logan’s story

One-year-old Logan Currie was diagnosed with Infantile Polyarteritis Nodosa, a severe form of systemic vasculitis, at just three months of age. During a family holiday in the Gold Coast last October, Logan developed a rash, began feeling lethargic and vomiting bile. Over the next three months, Logan would undergo numerous tests, be placed on life…

Ella talks Footloose

When I first heard about Camp Footloose to be honest I was a bit hesitant and didn’t really want to go, and as it turns out, choosing to go was one of the best decisions of my life. I met kids just like me. I didn’t have to explain why I couldn’t do something…

Get ready for Camp Footloose

Thank you for holding a great camp. I met heaps of great people and had an amazing time. Its time to start thinking about Camp Footloose. If you are between 9 and 18 year of age, why don’t you consider attending Camp Footloose. Camp Footloose is an annual event run by Arthritis…

Carter and Camp Twinkletoes

Carter is almost seven years old and has a common type of JIA, oligoarthritis, in both knees and his wrist. One day when he was four, his parents watched him climb out of a swimming pool and noticed that one knee was the size of a large grapefruit. “Within three weeks his movement and gait had complete…

Caitlin’s story

My name is Caitlin Holder and I suffer from Systemic Arthritis which impacts my everyday life. School was difficult to manage at times, as it took time to learn what I was capable of. With management and support from the school therapy team, teachers and my head teacher we created a plan which allowed me…