13-year-old girl lives with Juvenile Idiopathic arthritis

Thirteen-year-old Quebecer Alicia Diouf was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis at age 10. A child who loved to dance, play basketball, and go out with her friends, all that changed with her diagnosis.

Diouf says, “When I do a lot of exercise, my ankle hurts.”

She continues, “Arthritis is not a fatality. You can still do normal things like young people.”

Alicia was worried about “not being able to walk again, not being able to do sport again.”

Alicia experienced pain in her right ankle and wrist. While many of Alicia’s peers don’t understand her limitations, she’s discovered one place where she can be herself — Arthritis Society Canada’s summer camp for kids living with arthritis, where her unique needs are accommodated. Her eldest sister Felicia, noticed the difference.

Felicia says, “She was really happy. She made new friends, and she realized that there were other people like her and that she wasn’t alone. So I think that was really good for her.”

The young patient continues, “Sometimes when I go to the hospital, they give me a Play-Doh to play with for my wrist. I was pretty sad for her because I would see her suffering a lot.

Felicia hated watching her sister suffer. She recounts, “She would vomit, she would cry, and she felt really bad. Sometimes she would just stay in her room, and I felt really bad for her inside.”

Going to physio helped provide Alicia with the tools to manage her pain. Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, is the most common type of arthritis in children under the age of 16.

It can cause persistent joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. Some children may experience symptoms for only a few months, while others have symptoms for many years. Treatment focuses on controlling pain and inflammation, improving function, and preventing damage.

The elder sister says, “I wish it were best for her. I wish it doesn’t come back and that she can live her life normally. And that she won’t have to worry about feeling sick or having to go to the hospital. Because it wasn’t something that she liked with all the needles and all the stuff. So I really hope that she won’t have to go there again.”

October 12^th is World Arthritis Day.