Ontario

Living with a chronic condition like a rheumatic disease can be especially challenging for young people, not only physically but also mentally. It’s no surprise that 40% of youth diagnosed with a rheumatic disease experience symptoms of anxiety, depression, or panic disorders. However, a strong support system and connection with others…

In this #WhyIRun, we hear from the Rose family, who share their daughter Audrey’s journey with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). Audrey and her family will be participating in our upcoming run/walk at Hamilton’s Road2Hope marathon on November 2, 2024, where they are not only the top fundraiser for Cassie +…

In this edition of “Where Are They Now”, we caught up with Jake Shiell and his mom Krista. You may remember Jake from his popular lemonade stand fundraiser and as the winner of our 2022 Youth Leader Award for the under-12 group. Jake was diagnosed with Systemic Idiopathic Juvenile Arthritis (sJIA) on his 8th birthday in…

In my 7 years of living with Ankylosing Spondylitis since the age of 21, I’ve had to teach a lot of people quite a few things about my illness. It’s a relatively unheard-of form of arthritis in day-to-day life. Most people have heard of Rheumatoid Arthritis, but not usually Ankylosing…

Emily, diagnosed at age 3. Never complained. Emily was a happy-go-lucky kid and could always be found smiling and laughing. We felt lucky that she was so young when COVID came because we were able to spend time at home together, and because of her age, she didn’t know what…

It was fall of 2021 and Isla was 6 years old. Her life was pretty much centred around her unwavering excitement for Halloween and being able to wear her unicorn costume to go trick-or-treating with her best friend, Alice. Over the month of October, we started to notice that she…

Alana Hurov’s daughter, Katherine, was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) at just two years old. Katherine’s journey, like that of many children battling rheumatic diseases, has been challenging yet marked by her remarkable resilience at such a young age. “My daughter’s journey with JIA has not been easy,”…

For Lillian – Our Rheumatic Disease Warrior Our journey with Rheumatic Disease began in June 2022. After 11 days of fever, Lillian, then just shy of her 3rd birthday, was seen, diagnosed, and treated for Incomplete Kawasaki disease at CHEO (Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario). Luckily, she responded to the…

Harley is our tiny warrior. Just after turning 2, in August 2022, Harley started having difficulty walking one day out of nowhere. It pained her to tears and she had to hold onto someone to walk or be carried. She was on Amoxicillin for an ear infection, and had also…

Living with a chronic illness is an unimaginable challenge, and Behcet’s Disease has been my constant companion in this journey. This rare autoimmune condition, characterized by recurrent oral and genital ulcers, skin lesions, and systemic inflammation, has disrupted my life in many ways. However, my story took a positive turn when…

My name is Jessica Gill. I am from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis at the age of eight years old at the rheumatology clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. The diagnosis took place as a result of severe pain I was experiencing…

Thank you to everyone who helped make Giving Tuesday a huge success for children and families affected by Juvenile Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases – including one very special gift we wanted to share with you from eight-year old Iyla. Iyla, from Meaford, Ontario, has been diligently raising money for…