JIA

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…

Written by young adult JIA patient, Julie Beausoleil, this blog post was originally published by www.takeapaincheck.ca on June 29th, 2021. Take A Pain Check is a juvenile arthritis focussed podcast hosted by 18 year old Natasha Trehan, that provides a recognizable platform for youth and young adults to share their experience with…

The Beginning As a toddler learning to walk, Audrey caught on pretty fast. By her 1st birthday she was already zooming around with impressive coordination and balance. When we noticed that she was limping on-and-off at 18 months of age, we knew something was up. Her right ankle was swollen so…

Hi, my name is Savannah and I am a second-year university student studying kinesiology and living in Windsor, Ontario. I was diagnosed in grade school with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). A while ago, a member of my care team suggested I google Cassie + Friends to learn about the programs…

Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS) is severe inflammation of the immune system which can be associated with rheumatologic conditions such as Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). I was diagnosed with both conditions in October 2010.  My name is Gauri Raj and I am currently 21 years old. When I was 10 years…

Meet Amy and Abby Mazzone – a mom and daughter duo who’ve been fighting JIA together, along with their family, for 12 years. As with many in our community, Methotrexate has played an important, yet, challenging role in their journey to find relief from pain and allow Abby to be…

Hey there, my name is Manahil. I am a 20-year-old student at the University of Alberta, currently specializing in psychology and  working a research job with the Department of Medicine and Dentistry. The road here was not easy, let me tell you that. Though it was not easy, I would…

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…