We have been asking youth with rheumatic disease to share their story! Sharing stories helps build community and connections. We hope that Jenna’s amazing story inspires you to share your own story. 

My name is Jenna Kedy. I am 18 years old and live in Halifax, Nova Scotia. 

As a child, I was often sick and regularly fell down when walking. I got nasty scraps and cuts from these falls, but I would never cry (My mum tells me that I had the highest pain tolerance she had ever seen in a child). The doctors could never give my mom a definitive answer as to why I was always sick and falling down. They suggested that my sickness was due to my busy school schedule and low susceptibility to germs, and that my falls were because I was clumsy.

Even though I was sick, I was still a very active kid. I was mentally tough and never complained when I found activities difficult due to my pain. After all, being in pain was my normal at that point. 

It all came to a head in grade 6 when I got very sick. I had cold-like symptoms, a high fever, and severe swelling and rashes all over my body. My mom took me to the local children’s hospital emergency department. The doctors thought I just had a bad flu and sent me home to rest. I followed their orders and slept a lot (which was hard for a bubbly and active 11-year-old like me), but my pain became so unbearable that my mom had to take me back to the emergency department. Eventually, during one hospital admission, the doctor referred me to the hospital’s rheumatology team. 

The rheumatology team took my case very seriously. I underwent many blood tests, X-rays and physical assessments to find out what was wrong. Many of the tests were to rule out particularly bad diseases and disorders. Unfortunately, I was so young that I didn’t understand what the tests were and why they were needed. 

Reflecting on these early experiences, I can’t imagine how my mother felt during that time, being told about all these scary diseases that I could’ve possibly had. 

After a few weeks of testing, my rheumatology team finally diagnosed me with Juvenile Idiopathic Enthesitis-related Arthritis. It was an overwhelming experience. I had never heard of JIA before and was too young to grasp what it fully meant. I started taking a lot of medications (including biologics) and doing a lot of physical therapy. The medicine and therapy have helped me make some strides, but there is still a long way to go – unfortunately, I have not gone into remission yet.

Despite the pain, I have never let my JIA stop me from being my fun, quirky self and doing what I love most, cheerleading! I have continued to stay active as a cheerleader and recently won a gold medal at the International Cheer Union World Championships this year. My cheer program was the first, and currently only, Atlantic Canadian cheer program to win this title! 

My difficult experiences with arthritis have also helped me get more involved in my community. In addition to working part-time, I serve as a patient partner on multiple committees at my local children’s hospital. One project we are working on at the moment is building a new children’s emergency department.

I have also attended a summer camp for kids with arthritis every year since I was 12. I have been working through the ranks, and will be a leader in training this year! I am looking forward to giving back to the younger arthritis community. Being a mentor to younger people is such a beautiful thing; I love it so much. 

While arthritis has brought me hardships, it has also brought me fantastic opportunities that I otherwise would never have received!

I will take the strength and resilience that arthritis has given me forward to my dream college next September where I will be studying towards becoming a teacher!

If you would like to make a donation to youth like Jenna with Juvenile Arthritis, you may do so here.