<p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p>When she was 18 months old, our little girl Lyra (who's now 3) suddenly developed a swollen knee after she had a cold. As she's a typically active and lively lass we didn't make any connection between these things and assumed she'd banged her knee somewhere. When it didnt get any better we saw our GP and to cut a long and distressing story short, a few weeks later she was diagnosed by a consultant as having Juvenule Idiopathic Arthiritis (JIA).</p> <p>She then had to go through an operation on her knee and many weeks of physiotherapy to get her knee working again properly after the attack. Thankfully she responded to the treatment well. She now has to undergo regular tests and monitoring by consultants which will continue into adulthood.</p> <p>Fortunately she hasnt had another attack or flare up since then and we still have everything crossed that it stays that way - but many children affected by this condition aren't so lucky.</p> <p>The Sick Kids hospital is fantastic as all of us who have kids probably know only too well - but independent support groups such as the Scottish Network for Arthiritis in Children (SNAC) provide that other essential support for affected children and their families where NHS involvement ends.</p> <p>SNAC's aim is to provide a national support network for children with arthiritis and their families through practical and emotional support. Their goal is to pull together the wider community of affected children in Scotland as well as raising public awareness of childhood arthiritis.</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> <p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>