In August last year, our son Finley (4) was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA).

It began one morning when we noticed Finley had a very swollen knee. We took him to the Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, where doctors were initially unsure of the diagnosis. After two difficult weeks of repeated hospital visits, Finley was diagnosed with JIA.

JIA is an autoimmune condition where the body’s natural defences — designed to fight infection — mistakenly attack the joints. This causes inflammation, leading to pain, discomfort, and reduced mobility.

Finley received a steroid injection in his knee, which helped ease the pain, but the swelling and discomfort did not fully resolve. A couple of months later, his other knee became badly swollen with inflammation. Just a month after that, his ankle also flared up, resulting in another hospital visit.

To date, Finley has undergone four operations under general anaesthetic to inject steroids into the affected joints. He also requires regular eye checks, as children with JIA face a 10–30% risk of developing uveitis (iritis) — a serious and often symptomless eye inflammation that, if left untreated, can lead to vision loss, cataracts, or glaucoma.

With swollen knees, ankles, and elbows, Finley has faced constant hospital appointments, procedures, and ongoing medication. As a family, we turned to the Juvenile Arthritis Research (JAR) charity, which has been an invaluable source of information, support, and advice.

Although Finley remains a happy and active young boy, we do not know what the future holds for him and his condition.

After signing up to complete the Manchester Marathon, I unfortunately suffered a collapsed lung (pneumothorax) following an accident. My determination to recover from my injury, that occurred in October, and still cross the finish line, 6 months later in April, is driven by a desire to raise awareness and funds for Finley’s condition and for the charity that continues to support him.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read Finley’s story and for your kind donation.

To learn more, please visit the JAR website:

https://www.jarproject.org/home

With thanks,

Gareth, Alysha, big brother Freddie, and of course, Finley 💙