Andie’s Story
Andie is one of the special supporters who took on the March for Arthritis challenge, our virtual moveathon.
She and almost 200 other people proved that small regular gains can make a difference if we work together.
For Andie, The Arthritis Movement gave her understanding and support after she spent her childhood struggling to meet the challenges of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JIA) when few knew or understood her illness. She is happy to give back, knowing it will help others like her.
Diagnosed aged 8
Andie was diagnosed with JIA when she was eight years old and coped with her illness by trying to forget she had it. She didn’t want to stand out as different, but knew she had to ask for help sometimes.
‘Not many people knew about JIA when I was a kid and people often thought I was faking pain and fatigue. So, I started talking about what I was going through, why I couldn’t go to school sometimes or do Phys Ed,’ Andie said.
‘Later on, The Arthritis Movement gave me a lot of reliable information. Their social media support groups, particularly for women and kids living with arthritis, gave a lot of advice and I even discovered things I didn’t know I needed to know via their new app Clara.’
‘The Arthritis Movement raises awareness of how painful and debilitating – and non-ageist – this disease is. We’ve come a long way since my school days.’
All in all, collectively our community raised over $30,000 for our 2026 March For Arthritis Campaign. Take a moment and click here to watch our team’s thank you message.
