I've always grown up surrounded by many different animals. From guinea pigs, rabbits, dogs to ducks and a pigeon who think they're chickens (that's a story for another time). The one thing that has always been apparent is how much a child's life with Juvenile Arthritis changes when animals are around.
From my own personal experiences and stories I've heard through beginning Kids Arthritis Australia, that animals as pets are very important to their condition.
We all know pets make us happier and have more active lives, but to a child with Arthritis this is what we really need.
When I was 7 years old Ebony, our beloved family pet dog passed away. We still had chickens, guinea pigs and rabbits, but without a dog my parents began to notice something different.
When Ebony was alive I would be more active. I'd take Ebony for short walks up and down the footpath of our house, sit on the floor with her and have a secret cuddle when the Arthritis pain was too much. Now without her this wasn't happening anymore, which meant less accidental active time. This lead to more Juvenile Arthritis joint flares, which meant more hospital visits and joint injections. Less motivation with more pain and no fluffy animal to cuddle.
We eventually found a dog who was trained and tame enough to join our family home. Her name, Ellie. Within the next few days there was a huge difference. There was more accidental active time, less inflammation joint activity and the overall feel of the house changed.
Jessie (little white puppy) joined our family after a close friend passed away from Cancer and she wanted her bundle of joy in caring hands. We now have two dogs which anyone who has two or more dogs would know the fun you have.
You are now thinking about your own home and how a dog may impact positively on your life. From my experiences without a dog life would be different. Not only in an Arthritis sense, but companionship for everyone in the home. A dog will be happy no matter how you're feeling and will always be pleased to see you come home after a day away.
If this has got you thinking about adding a new fluffy, cuddly member to your family. Check out the RSPCA website and see if your perfect match is there.
Every year since birth to age 13 years I'd have to deal with the cold hard fact that I would have to have an operation of some sort, but would never know exactly what.
The operation would always happen around the beginning of Spring and my mother could always tell it was coming. I'd always feel fatigued during the day and have painful, swollen joints that would never go away. In the beginning I was too young to recognise what my body was doing to me, but as I got older it became a bigger and more annoying problem.
Through beginning Australia's First organisation, Kids Arthritis I have found that this also happens to other children all around the world.
Eventually the swelling would make my joints so stiff, swollen and painful that the only way to remove the problem temporarily was to have an operation.
I hated this so much, more than anyone could ever imagine. My horrible childhood memories are all from these times in hospital. Being forced by medical professionals to do certain things for my treatment and would hold me down and make the pain worse if I wouldn't do so.
This kind of treatment lead me to have a huge fear of the dreaded gas mask and instead would be first be sedated with a injection to feel 'relaxed' (it never worked). I then had a final injection to put me to sleep for the operation.
I can remember many times when this 'relaxed' injection didn't work and I had to deal with what the medical professional would do next, as they thought the injection worked.
Once the operation was over, I would wake up with Tweety, Arthur the Arthritis Bear and my mother by my side, and would full in and out of sleep of many hours to come.
I remember the first thing I would do once I'd woken up for the first time, would be to feel where the intravenous was in my body. Sometimes it was in my arms, others in my tiny Arthritis hands. I would then feel what the doctors had done during the operation. What arms, legs, wrists, elbows, etc were in plaster and if there was anything inserted into my nose or mouth for food, water or air. I'd then peacefully drift back to sleep once I knew what was going on.
Remember this really happens to Children who live with Arthritis. This happened every year and every time the procedure was different, but what stayed the same was that the Arthritis had made it happen.
The last time I had an operation was a couple of years ago and it was to remove swelling, stiffness and a bursa from my left elbow at the REPAT Hospital.
Once you've been grown up living like this, you don't expect anything different and this is a sad thing. To think that for the rest of my life I have to live with this disease that controls how my body feels and acts. Leading to operations and doctors appointments just like the ones written above.
No child should ever have to live like this.
www.kidsarthritis.org
This photo of Tahila cuddling Arthur the Arthritis Bear taken by the wonderful Kids Arthritis Media Man, Rhys. Reminds me of how that one moment that someone actually listened to me about my Juvenile Arthritis struggles, is now helping so many others just like me.
I had to create a movie looking back at how far not only Kids Arthritis had come in the past two years, but myself. From humble beginnings getting three supporters and myself around a table to discuss a way to create awareness. To a National Launch that attached not only local Identities, but community members from all over Australia together in one place. Not to mention a whole radio show on Hills Radio devoted to the world changing evening, with interviews from children, parents and community members all sharing in the cause.
We have now been named a fastest growing non for profit in our area. Offering more programs and holding more events in our first year of official operation than most other organisation of our age. This gives me great pride, as each day I awake no matter how much pain I'm in or fatigued I may be, to change the way the world views Arthritis.
To some this is a huge fate, but to me, it's my life and will always be my life. The children I come in contact everyday all have one thing in common besides living with Juvenile Arthritis, that is; SUPPORT.
Kids Arthritis is Australia's First organisation solely dedicated to supporting Children living with Arthritis. I know it's hard when you've lived an isolated life where you think no one understands about your child's disease, that someone or even a organisation out there really cares this much.
Well we do! We care about how your child feels, what's going on in their lives now and in the future. Not only that but, you as parents, grandparents and friends. What it feels like for you. Kids Arthritis Australia is here to help. We have parents, friends, children and professionals who live with Juvenile Arthritis everyday for you to talk to. We're all volunteers and are in it for you not for the money. We want to help and support children, their families and carers living with Juvenile Arthritis in any way possible.
If I read this ten or fifteen years ago, I would jump on the opportunity for a healthier and better life surrounded by others just like me, living just like me. If you're reading this now and know a child living with Juvenile Arthritis, please don't be ashamed to seek support from myself at Kids Arthritis Australia as we are here for you everyday.
We eventually found a dog who was trained and tame enough to join our family home. Her name, Ellie. Within the next few days there was a huge difference. There was more accidental active time, less inflammation joint activity and the overall feel of the house changed. 
