Tag Archives: juvenile arthritis

Developing New Treatments for Kids With Arthritis

Developing new treatments for kids with arthritis is challenging. Drugs that work for adults may not work the same way in children. Ask any pediatrician and they will remind you that kids are not just small adults. Children are still growing and developing. They are different sizes and at different stages of development, which makes dosing and safety considerations more challenging. The types of additional medical conditions children experience may be very different from the conditions seen in adults. Continue reading Developing New Treatments for Kids With Arthritis

Improving Mental Health for Kids With Juvenile Arthritis

Dr. Andrea Knight, lead investigator, will present “Engaging Patients and Parents to Improve Mental Health for Youth With Rheumatologic Disease” at the 13th International Congress on Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in San Francisco, April 5-8. The results of this study will also appear in the April 2019 issue of Lupus Science & Medicine. Continue reading Improving Mental Health for Kids With Juvenile Arthritis

No One Should Be in Debilitating Pain, Especially at 3 Years Old

Meet Shannan O’hara-Levi

When Shannan O’hara-Levi was only 7 months old, her mother noticed that she would wake up from naps crying and grabbing at her knees. Mrs. O’hara took her to the doctor, only to be brushed off and told it was just “growing pains” that would eventually go away. Ironically, a few years later at a routine checkup, the pediatrician asked Mrs. O’hara why Shannan wasn’t brought in earlier for her red, swollen knees. That’s when Shannan was finally diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (JA). Continue reading No One Should Be in Debilitating Pain, Especially at 3 Years Old

mason merager giving tuesday 2017

Three Days Lost and 1,000 Miles to See a Doctor

It’s 500 miles door to door. Sixteen hours of driving time roundtrip, sometimes in treacherous conditions. Three days lost … at least twice every year.

That’s what Mason Merager and his mom have experienced over the past decade, just so they could see a specialist trained to treat childhood arthritis. They’ve had to plan their trips to coincide with summer school breaks and end-of-year holidays. Without financial support, they would have had to sacrifice Mason’s health because of the overwhelming costs.

Continue reading Three Days Lost and 1,000 Miles to See a Doctor

Winterhoff Scholarship Awardees

Winterhoff Arthritis Scholarship Goes National – Eight 2017 Recipients Announced

Champion of Yes has come to mean different things to different people. To many, it means refusing to let arthritis win – to stand up, push back and say, “Enough is enough. I won’t let arthritis stop me or anyone else from living life to its fullest!”

Continue reading Winterhoff Arthritis Scholarship Goes National – Eight 2017 Recipients Announced

2016 CARRA Annual Meeting

Pediatric Rheumatologists, Researchers and Patients Unite in Toronto to Change the Future of Living With Childhood Arthritis

Last week more than 400 pediatric rheumatologists, researchers, fellows, patients, parents and industry representatives, along with Arthritis Foundation staff members and volunteers, came together for the 2016 Annual Scientific Meeting of CARRA, the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance. Held in Toronto, Canada, this was CARRA’s largest annual meeting to date, with participants from renowned institutions across the United States and abroad.

For nearly 70 years, the Arthritis Foundation has been committed to serving families affected by juvenile arthritis and other childhood rheumatic diseases. We’ve supported CARRA since it formed more than a decade ago, and today our partnership is stronger than ever. Both CARRA and the Arthritis Foundation are working to improve treatments and outcomes for the estimated 300,000 children in the U.S. who live with arthritis and related conditions. Together, we are creating a more unified and powerful research and advocacy community by leveraging physicians, researchers and staff from both organizations.
Continue reading Pediatric Rheumatologists, Researchers and Patients Unite in Toronto to Change the Future of Living With Childhood Arthritis

Ortman Family Juvenile Arthritis

The Ortmans: Giving After They’re Gone

Ortman Family Juvenile ArthritisMichael Ortman, Arthritis Foundation board chair, knows all too well how juvenile arthritis (JA) can impact a family for a lifetime.

When his son, Daniel, was 11 years old, he began complaining of pain in his foot and ankle. The Ortmans took Daniel to numerous doctors to determine the cause, and after he was diagnosed with a bone scan, Mike and his wife, Kate, were told that Daniel had JA – and that it was spreading to other joints in his body. His parents watched as Daniel went from an active, tree-climbing, independent child to a boy who needed a wheelchair and assistance performing everyday tasks.

Now 27, Daniel continues to struggle with mobility, and has spent most of the last three years homebound. Although he has experienced some recent victories, he still struggles from the ongoing physical and mental challenges of arthritis.

Continue reading The Ortmans: Giving After They’re Gone


New JA Power Pack Is Soothing Young Minds and Bodies

Kenley Huss Juvenile ArthritisKids get arthritis, too! And we at the Arthritis Foundation are dedicated to being their champions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 300,000 children in the U.S. have been diagnosed with juvenile arthritis (JA) and other childhood rheumatic conditions. It’s likely that many more kids are affected by rheumatic diseases and don’t even know it.

We are boldly leading the fight for families living with this mysterious disease. To help them cope, we now offer a unique package of support for young patients and their families.

Continue reading New JA Power Pack Is Soothing Young Minds and Bodies


The Arthritis Foundation Helps Families Cope With JA

Arthritis Foundation Juvenile ArthritisThe daily struggles of a child with juvenile arthritis (JA) can be heart-wrenching and frightening. Painful and debilitating flares, infusions and injections, teasing and bullying.

In the United States, about 300,000 children have arthritis, and we at the Arthritis Foundation are committed to bringing awareness to this group of diseases and the struggles of families living with the disease during July – JA Awareness month – and all year long.

Continue reading The Arthritis Foundation Helps Families Cope With JA

Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

July Is National Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month

Each year at this time, we commemorate the estimated 300,000 children and their families in the United States who face the everyday challenges of living with juvenile arthritis (JA) and related diseases. Juvenile arthritis is an umbrella term used to describe the many autoimmune and inflammatory conditions or pediatric rheumatic diseases that can develop in children and teens.

The various types of juvenile arthritis share many common symptoms, like pain, joint swelling, redness and warmth, but each type of JA is distinct and has its own unique characteristics and how it affects the body. Continue reading July Is National Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month