Earlier this year, my son, Joe (aged 6) had been complaining about pains in his legs during the night, he'd always suffered with 'growing pains' so I just put it down to that and comforted and settled him night after night. It wasn't until he told me that he couldn't make a fist and his fingers looked like little sausages that I thought something might be wrong and we took a trip to the doctors. Within 10 days we had a referral to Paediatric Rheumatology at Newcastle RVI and they confirmed that he was suffering with Poly Articular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis, ‘what a mouthful’ I thought. His mobility and pain rapidly declined in the following days.

It's fair to say I was pretty devastated and completely shocked to see my little boy having to move from room to room on his bottom and choosing to lie on the sofa very quietly instead of playing out with his friends. It just wasn’t him and I was desperate for him to be his naughty cheeky self again. His little muscles had started to waste away and he had become a very sad little boy indeed, it totally broke my heart. I had no idea that Arthritis affected children too or that it could be so debilitating. He was admitted to hospital within a week to receive a course of steroids and to start his treatment. It was here that he was also diagnosed with Uveitis.

The steroids took effect immediately and the difference they made was phenomenal! Joe’s team of health professionals were so very positive and supportive despite driving it home to me just how poorly Joe was.

You see, my Joe is no ordinary boy………he has shown me how to be so brave and positive throughout all of his treatment. Back and forth every month for blood samples, joint injections and trialing new drugs just to attempt to control this horrible disease. And he just takes everything that’s thrown at him, no complaining, always smiling and trying to get one over on his brothers! He is now slowly getting better, his uveitis has settled right down and he is reacting well to his new drug Adalimumab even though the injections are quite tough. Years of hospital appointments, tests and ‘flare ups’ are seemingly a definite part of Joe’s future, but I just know that he will cope and be strong and we can live as normal life as possible.

Joe loves to run and the first thing he said to me when he got poorly was “how long is it before I can run again mam?” He has inspired me to keep running and run as far as I can and as fast as I can because the pain of completing a run is nothing compared to that ache that he feels almost every day. Arthritis Research UK has been an invaluable source of information and comfort for me during a time when I felt quite alone and clueless as to what was happening to my little boy and that’s why I am honored to be raising funds this summer by running the Durham City Run, Northumberland Coastal Run, Great North Run and Kielder Marathon (among many others)!