Hi Everyone! My name is Ciara, and I am working as an Administrative Assistant at Cassie + Friends this summer

I am 19 years old and have just finished my first year at the University of Toronto studying English Literature. One of my favourite forms of Literature is Epic poetry (ex: The Odyssey). I am drawn to the fluidity of language and rich detail in epics, which provides the never-ending ability to analyze and compare.

I also really enjoy acting! I love acting in plays and musicals, film/tv, and taking acting lessons. One aspect of acting that I am intrigued by is how it allows actors to understand life from a perspective very different to their own. I find acting helps me look at situations from a personal lens first, rather than a broader factual lens. The personal lens is a large part of Cassie + Friends, and it has been exciting getting to be a part of that!

I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) in my mid-teens. I was an avid rock climber and competitive rower and started finding it harder to hold onto both the rock climbing holds and rowing oars. My hands and wrists became very stiff, swollen, and painful – to the point where I couldn’t even hold a pen. It took a while for the doctors to diagnose me. They tested for various types of rheumatic disease and neurological conditions, but eventually, I was diagnosed with JIA. Thanks to the doctors at BC Children’s Hospital, I started receiving the care and treatment I needed.

By recommendation of the BC Children’s Hospital Rheumatology team, I connected with Cassie + Friends. I participated in the virtual runs and attended many virtual TAG events, including the Trivia night, Paint night, and Yoga event. Until that point, I had never met another youth who had JIA, so these events were terrific in helping me make some connections with other youth with JIA and other rheumatic diseases. Many of them had had JIA for a lot longer and were able to answer questions that I had and give me tips on managing symptoms in school etc. I also attended some of the Virtual education Webinars, such as Methotrexate, Biologics, and Transition to adult care.

I am very excited to be working with Cassie + Friends and have been really enjoying it so far. Please feel free to reach me at ciara@cassieandfriends.ca. I can help answer questions about Cassie + Friends events and programs and provide JIA support in any way I can within my realm of knowledge.