Jordan Howe, 7

One of the last things any parent wants to hear is that there is something wrong with their child. After six months of not knowing what was wrong with our daughter, Jordan, we finally had an answer and it wasn't anything we were expecting. I was told Jordan had Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was in shock and I remember thinking, “she’s not even three....kids don't get arthritis. There has to be another explanation. My daughter does not have arthritis.”

Finally I accepted that Jordan did indeed have arthritis. She had surgery a few weeks before she turned three, which confirmed the JRA diagnosis. A month later we saw a pediatric rheumatologist. Jordan started her medication and we thought she was doing pretty well. Six months after her diagnosis we found out that she had uveitis, inflammation in her eyes. It's been a roller coaster ride ever since.

Here we are, four years later, I know so much more about JRA. Thankfully she has more good days then bad. She's on weekly medications, sees her rheumatologist every eight weeks and if we're lucky she only sees her eye doctor every three months. Usually it's about every six-eight weeks. A little over a year ago Jordan had to have a joint injection and it was one of the worst things I've ever had to do. Usually an injection will last about six months but Jordan's only worked for six weeks. About three months after the injection, I noticed her other knee had started to swell. Her arthritis was spreading and now has several joints affected. She actually looks forward to her injections now because she knows they make her feel better. She has a hard time fighting off infections because of these medications so she’s often sick and misses school.

I keep reminding myself that Jordan has a mild case of JRA. Yes, she has days where she’s miserable but there are so many other kids who are sicker then she is. They can't walk, run or play. This is no way for a child to live. As a mother it breaks my heart to see my baby in pain and uncomfortable. There is nothing I can do to comfort her and it is a horrible feeling.

Jordan is amazing. She takes all this as it comes. She's willing to try anything and if it hurts she stops. She does her best to keep up with the kids at school and for the most part she does pretty well. I'm so proud of her and hopefully in time she will beat this disease.

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