October 2023

Lily’s Journey to Diagnosis, Methotrexate, and Finding A Community of Support

By |October 19th, 2023|Injection, JIA, Medication, methotrexate, newly diagnosed, School, School Toolkit, TMJ, Uncategorized|

Meet Lily. One morning, at the young age of 2, our daughter Lily woke up limping and her left knee looked slightly swollen. She didn't seem to show that she was in pain, but was refraining from putting weight on her left leg. We had no idea what happened and didn't recall any [...]

Managing JA through Movement: How Ryan’s Gym Routine Helped Him to Build Physical (and Mental) Health and Lifted His Disease Management to the Next Level

By |October 3rd, 2023|Mental Health, newly diagnosed, Physical Activity, School Toolkit, Uncategorized|

"Working out and going to the gym helped me regain my physical ability but also my confidence, energy and overall mental wellbeing." - Ryan Dekker, Young Adult Living with JA As someone who grew up with an active lifestyle (and plenty of energy), finding a way to stay active [...]

June 2023

Get to know our Youth Ambassador of of the Year, Alejandra Van Dusen

By |June 8th, 2023|Advocacy, Mental Health (For Youth), Post- Secondary, Stories, Teen Transitions|

“As a young adult with JIA I have experienced firsthand just how much goes on at this age. School, work, relationships, newfound independence, transition… I wanted to create resources with short pieces of patient-driven advice to help others like me navigate the constant changes of life with rheumatic disease.” [...]

Tough as Nails: A Father Reflects on his Two Daughters and Childhood Rheumatic Disease

By |June 5th, 2023|High School, JIA, Post- Secondary, Rare Disease, Stories, TMJ|

"We're very proud of our girls for showing the fortitude needed to not let these diseases define them." Hello families! My name is Mike Wiens, husband to Jesica and father to two girls, Vanessa 24 yrs old, and Sarah 23 yrs old. We're happy to call Port Moody, BC our home since relocating here [...]

May 2023

March 2023

Honor Student. Elite Athlete. JIA Warrior.

By |March 22nd, 2023|High School, Injection, JIA, Medication, movement, Pain Tips, Physical Activity, Post- Secondary, Stories, Teen Transitions|

"If you told me a few years ago that I would be pursuing my dream of playing post-secondary volleyball at Dalhousie University, I would have laughed out loud because at the time it seemed near to impossible." Meet Ella. In April of 2020, I was diagnosed with a rheumatic condition you are probably [...]

October 2021

Learning to Live with JIA

By |October 5th, 2021|Current Events, JIA, newly diagnosed, Post- Secondary, Sask Stories, Stories, Teen Transitions|

Hello,  My name is Emma Linsley, and I am from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with JIA. Along with needing to learn to manage the physical ailments of the disease, this diagnosis brought with it a complex set of other challenges that my support network and I would [...]

October 2020

JIA My Way: How one teen is taking charge of her arthritis

By |October 29th, 2020|High School, JIA, School Toolkit, Stories, Teen Transitions|

Is your family beginning to think about the transition from pediatric to adult rheumatology care?  We spoke to one teen who talks about her diagnosis with rheumatic disease at age 14, and  how she's been taking control of her condition two years later. This is a powerful read that offers a few starting points [...]

Diagnosed. By Trish Peters

By |October 13th, 2020|Advice, Current Events, High School, Home Page, newly diagnosed, Post- Secondary, School Toolkit, Stories, Teen Transitions, Virtual Youth Panel, YLN|

Trish is an inspiring community leader and one who has already accomplished so much in her young life. Having completed her Bachelor's Degree in Commerce, she is now pursuing a Master's Degree in the Netherlands, demonstrating her unwavering dedication to her education and personal growth. Trish's unique life experiences have given her a diverse [...]

August 2020

5 Helpful tips for attending high school with arthritis

By |August 27th, 2020|High School, School, School Toolkit|

Middle school and high school can take some time for everyone to get used to, especially if you are a student with arthritis. Larger schools with multiple classrooms, more teachers and classmates, and a heavy backpack full of textbooks, can make it a challenging environment to communicate with others about your arthritis pain and [...]

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