Western PA Press Rheum

2010 WPA Arthritis Walk & Family Day Child Honoree

March 17, 2010 at 6:24 pm | Posted in Juvenile Arthritis, Personal Arthritis Stories, Western PA Events | Leave a comment

The Arthritis Foundation Announces the 2010 Arthritis Walk Child Honoree

Ashlyn Connolly – 2010 Child Honoree

The Arthritis Foundation, Western Pennsylvania Chapter is proud to announce Ashlyn Connolly, 4, of Pittsburgh, Pa., as the 2010 Western Pennsylvania Arthritis Walk Child Honoree.

In 2009, at just 3 years old, Ashlyn was diagnosed with Polyarticular Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, which is an autoimmune disease that affects five or more joints.

Julie Connolly, Ashlyn’s mother, said she and her husband, Colin, knew something was wrong when Ashlyn injured her ankle.

After Ashlyn injured her ankle, the swelling didn’t decrease over time like it was supposed to. Then Ashlyn had pain and swelling in her left knee. Ashlyn became stiff and swollen and was in such pain that she told her parents it “hurt to walk.” The family took Ashlyn to Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh where she began treatment for her arthritis.

 Despite pain, Ashlyn is energetic, lively and doesn’t let arthritis slow her down. She wakes up almost every morning full of excited questions such as “What are we doing today?” or “So, where are we going?”

“Ashlyn is such a trooper. She just keeps going and doesn’t let anything get her down. Even in the beginning before we got the diagnosis of Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, she was stiff and sore, but never complained. If it hurt her to walk, she would just figure out another way to get around and continue what she was doing,” said Julie.

In many ways Ashlyn is still blissfully unaware of her condition, but the Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis diagnosis was difficult for her parents.

Colin, Ashlyn’s father, said he and Julie were shocked and devastated that their daughter had arthritis at only three years old. “It’s frustrating that there are so many unknowns about the disease – for example, the trial and errors of finding what medicines will work, will it spread to more joints and get worse, or will she be one of the lucky ones whose arthritis will go away while she’s still a child? We’re also obviously worried about how this is going to affect her when she gets older,” he said.

The family advices parents of children with arthritis to stay positive and hopeful and to get involved with the Arthritis Foundation’s family days and Juvenile Arthritis events. They said that meeting other families of children with juvenile arthritis had been a great help to them and Ashlyn.

Ashlyn enjoys preschool, going to the playground, being with other kids, coloring, and, of course, Disney Princesses. She’s a typical preschooler in everyway, except that she has arthritis, the 6^th most common childhood disease. Please join the Arthritis Foundation in honoring Ashlyn, and the other 3 million children nationally affected with arthritis, at the 2010 Western PA Arthritis Walk, Wellness & Family Fun Day at Kennywood Amusement Park on May 8, 2010.

Registration for the 5k walk will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the walk will start at 9 a.m. After the walk, the Arthritis Foundation will also host a Juvenile Arthritis Family Day in the park. For information on the walk or awareness day please visit http://westernpennsylvania.arthritis.org or call the Arthritis Foundation at (412) 566-1645.